Senate Democrats again rejected the Republican-led funding bill Oct. 28, prolonging the government shutdown that has left thousands of federal workers — now including air traffic controllers — without pay.
Lawmakers voted 54-45 against advancing the House-passed stopgap measure, which Republicans described as a “clean” continuing resolution that would fund the government at current levels through Nov. 21, Politico reported. It marked the 13th time Senate Democrats have voted down the GOP proposal since the shutdown began Oct. 1.
Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, in again breaking ranks to vote with Republicans.
Federal unions and workers ramped up pressure to end the shutdown ahead of the vote. On Oct. 27, the American Federation of Government Employees urged Congress to immediately pass a clean funding measure, as CatholicVote previously reported.
But, according to Politico, Democrats have shown no sign of changing course and insist they won’t vote to resume funding until Republicans agree to negotiate over the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits. The White House has maintained that the Democratic proposal would dedicate roughly $200 billion over the next decade to provide healthcare coverage for illegal immigrants and other non-citizens.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a press conference at New York’s LaGuardia Airport that many air traffic controllers have been forced to take on second jobs because they missed their first full paycheck Oct. 28.
“You heard the stories of controllers working at Uber or DoorDash, a controller who might go to a food bank to help make ends meet,” Duffy said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for an air traffic controller in 2024 was $144,580.
In a social media post, the White House blamed Democrats for prioritizing “illegal aliens before Americans,” noting that 13,000 air traffic controllers have gone unpaid.
Meanwhile, members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) have begun distributing leaflets to travelers at airports to explain how the shutdown is affecting aviation workers, NBC News reported. In a statement, the association warned that the standoff threatens roughly 10 million aviation-related jobs and the $1.5 trillion the industry contributes annually to the U.S. economy.
“A shutdown doesn’t just harm NATCA members,” the statement said. “It threatens the reliability and efficiency of our entire aviation system.”
As Politico reported, flights departing from Los Angeles International Airport were briefly paused Oct. 26 due to a staffing shortage. Duffy told Maria Bartiromo on FOX News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that more controllers have been calling in sick or missing shifts.
Federal aviation employees received only partial pay earlier this month for hours worked before the shutdown began Oct. 1, according to NBC.
Despite the stalemate, GOP approval ratings have risen since the shutdown began, CNN data reporter Harry Enten said Oct. 28. He cited an AP-NORC poll that showed the party’s overall approval is up two points, while congressional Republicans’ approval is up five points.
Among Republican voters, congressional Republicans’ approval soared 12 points, while among independents it rose eight points.
Enten said that even though Republicans control the government, “the Republican brand in Congress has actually improved somewhat compared to when we were pre-shutdown.”
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