Following a White House roundtable with airline executives and labor leaders Thursday afternoon, Vice President J.D. Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy held a press conference where they warned of growing pressure on the nation’s federal aviation workforce.
“I just want to hear from people about the stresses of the aviation industry in light of the fact of the shutdown,” Vance said. “Everybody here is very worried that we’re going to see more delays, more stresses on the people who are actually making the aviation system run … I worry about the air traffic controllers who, of course, make this entire system extra safe.”
Duffy said disruptions are growing worse at major airports as the shutdown continues.
“We’ve seen blips and flips—whether it’s LAX or it’s Atlanta or it’s Dallas—you’re seeing impacts of this shutdown on our airspace,” he said. “Our air traffic controllers, their first paycheck they missed… that was early October. They just missed their full paycheck.”
Vice President Vance on Gov't Shutdown Day 30 at the White House after meeting with Transportation Secretary Duffy and leaders in the aviation industry impacted by the government shutdown, ahead of President Trump's return later today from Asia: "Everybody here is very worried… pic.twitter.com/C6iGZJu1Qb
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) October 30, 2025
He noted that while safety has been maintained, continued missed payments are increasing strain on essential personnel, including TSA and technical employees.
“As this shutdown continues, you’re going to see more pressure on controllers, more pressure on TSA workers, and that’s going to have real impact,” he said.
Asked about the outlook for the upcoming holiday travel season, Vance said the situation could worsen sharply if the shutdown persists.
“It could be a disaster,” he said. “At that point you’re talking about people who have missed three paychecks… What happens when the security lines are not an hour long but they’re four hours long?”
Duffy echoed that concern, noting that November typically brings heavier traffic.
“As we go into November, travel picks up as people start to look at going to their families,” he said. “If you don’t have air traffic controllers who are being paid, they may want to stay in the job, but they cannot.”
More “Disaster” = More “Public Awareness”
The more upset the flying populace gets with Washington Clownery (both sides) the higher the chances to see most of these criminal polit-honks kicked out the door.
All of them need to be fired. Sooner, rather than later. Call it “The Purge” and clean this mess up.
I couldn’t agree more. The hacks that call themselves representatives aren’t doing their job, and the American people are paying the price. Find the middle ground, compromise and get on with growing the economy and treating people decently.
“Both sides”? Come off it. Reps put forth a clean CR. Dems wanted $3T.
The Representatives in the House got it done. The Dems in the Senate shut it down.
I’m not real political so help me understand what’s happening. There’s a republican president, senate, house and Supreme Court. How are the democrats causing the shutdown? What power do they have?
Don’t care who wanted what and for whom.
When fronts are so hardened that parties would rather die than budge an inch, Democracy is dying.
America has survived a lot or storms - so it will probably survive this stupid monkeyshow.
The criminals in Washington (both sides) have forgotten who they serve. IMO that is a punishable offense and treason and if it was for me - all would loose their salaries and taxpayer funded lifelong retirement. All of it. Poof. Gone. Fired.
Most of these crooks are so slimy, false and slippery that you can’t hit them with common sense or reason. The only way they learn is when “money for nothing” stops dead and cold.
There’s no “Republican” Supreme Court. There was a “clean” CR proposed by the Republicans to continue funding the government at the current levels, which were voted for by Schumer and the Dems back in March, in order to provide more time for all of these derelicts to do their job. All the Republicans except Rand Paul (never votes for CRs out of principal), along with Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto and John Fetterman, as well as Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, voted for the Republican plan, which failed 51–47. Despite receiving a majority of votes in the Senate, the Republican plan failed to pass because it could not overcome a 60-vote filibuster. More Democrats were needed to pass it and keep the government funded.
I don’t disagree with that. They haven’t produced a budget on time since 1996. However, this shutdown is because Democrats voted against what they already voted for back in March.
Six of the nine judges were nominated by a republican president. Are six were registered republicans when they were nominated. It’s the most politically partisan court in history. They are a rubber stamp for the Trump administration.
That’s far too simplistic. What makes it any more partisan than when there were more liberals on the court? Remember that CJ Roberts gave us Obamacare when he decided it was a tax and congress (Dem controlled at the time) could tax. This after all the Dems were assuring us it wasn’t a tax!
Well, Trump made sure that will never happen again.
What will never happen again?
My part of the world is concerned with a debt of $47,000,000,000,000 dollars.