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Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, exactly 1 month ago today, I stood on the Senate floor and spoke about the impact that the government shutdown was having on an already troubled aviation system and that the traveling public was facing tremendous challenges with that shutdown, and I cautioned against prolonging it. Now, 30 days later, we are still here.

I was concerned that if the government shutdown continued, it could force the closure of parts of the airspace and lead to further reductions in the air traffic controller workforce. Unfortunately, both these concerns have materialized in what has become the longest government shutdown in our Nation's history. With 2,300 cancellations, and counting today--Sunday--it will go down as one of the worst days in air travel.

I have never seen anything good come from a government shutdown. Lapses in Federal funding have made it harder for families to access SNAP benefits, Head Start Programs have been put on pause, and thousands of Federal employees are unable to receive a paycheck.

This dysfunction is damaging enough to our constituents and economy here at home, but it also sends a dangerous--a dangerous--message to the watching world. It demonstrates to our allies that we are an unreliable partner, and it signals to our adversaries that we can't work together to meet even the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress.

As this shutdown continues, I want to particularly focus on the impact this lapsed funding is having on the aviation industry.

TSA agents and air traffic controllers have had to continue working while missing two paychecks. It is a stressful job and one that has grown increasingly more difficult throughout the year. Combine that with the uncertainty of how to pay rent, put food on the table, and gas in your car, it is no surprise--no surprise--that we are seeing more and more controllers not showing up to work. We were already facing a shortage of controllers, and now we are seeing more having to pick up second jobs to pay the bills or seeing some quit entirely.

Our inaction and our inability to gain consensus are deterring young people interested in futures such as air traffic controllers or other aviation professionals from pursuing those careers.

The vulnerabilities in our aviation system have led Secretary Sean Duffy to begin reducing flights by 10 percent at 40 major airports. Airlines, businesses, and general aviation alike are cutting into their operations to make certain that airspace is as safe as possible. It is critical to know that these impacts are not lopsided on those high- traffic areas. Small- and medium-hub airports, such as we have in Kansas that connect to those 40, are experiencing this pain just as much.

While this is a painful step, it is necessary for the safety of the traveling public, and I support Secretary Duffy's decision.

American Airlines indicated to me they canceled more than 240 flights yesterday and delayed more than 1,000 flights, impacting more than 150,000 passengers.

Airlines for America said that staffing shortages disrupted the flights of more than 4 million passengers from October 1 to November 7 on their partner airlines, and that was before the mandatory reductions were put in place by the Department of Transportation.

We can expect more cuts if we do not reopen the government.

We saw how fragile our air system is, and it is the reason I highlight aviation and the consequences of the shutdown tonight. We saw how fragile our air system is earlier this year when a series of failures led to a midair collision on January 29, which claimed the lives of 67, including those of Kansans. That accident forced Congress and our Nation to reckon with an issue that has plagued us for decades: Why have we not effectively modernized our airspace system?

Since that crash, steps have been taken to train more controllers and improve the aviation system, including a $12.5 billion investment in modernizing our airspace. But those efforts are becoming much more difficult to accomplish during a shutdown.

Unfortunately, the position the aviation industry finds itself in today cannot be easily solved, but we cannot even begin to solve it unless we reopen the government. Every day we remain shut down, the fragility of the system intensifies.

Thanksgiving is only 18 days away. Americans are purchasing, would have purchased, or already purchased tickets to be with their families. If we remain in a shutdown much longer, it will become increasingly difficult for airlines to deliver on their promises to their customers.

The circumstances we are in cannot continue. We must reopen the government. I urge my colleagues to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.

I am committed to working with my colleagues--my colleagues--to address the concerns they have and any issues brought forth by the shutdown.

We must return to regular order, advance a clean CR and these three appropriations bills, and then consider further appropriations and these issues that so many of us care so deeply about. Our constituents and our Nation depend upon us to do so.

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