Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday, according to Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy.
About 13,000 air traffic controllers are preparing to miss their first full paycheck
Bessent said that air traffic controllers who work six days a week shouldn't have to worry about picking up a second job to pay bills.
"Next Tuesday is the first paycheck they will not receive," says @SecDuffy on air traffic controllers.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 23, 2025
"I don't want air traffic controllers to take a second job... but they're having to make decisions about how they spend their time to make sure they put food on their table." pic.twitter.com/z9MRmmVlKi
Lawmakers shut down the federal government on Oct. 1 over different funding priorities. A funding resolution requires 60 votes, and enough Democratic lawmakers won't vote to reopen the government.
Meanwhile, airline unions are calling on Senate Democratic lawmakers to reopen the federal government immediately. This is the second-longest shutdown of the federal government since 1981, behind the 2019 shutdown that stretched for 35 days.
Captain Jody Reven, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, called on Congress to act swiftly to end the government shutdown.
“Considering the strain on our nation’s aviation system, SWAPA strongly urges Congress to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government,” said Captain Reven. He continued, “Our air traffic controllers and the broader air traffic system are already operating under immense pressure — a government shutdown only compounds that stress and threatens the efficiency of our skies as we see the impact of reduced controller availability at facilities across the country. Likewise, TSA professionals continue to show up every day to safeguard the traveling public, even without pay. These men and women deserve our full support and the certainty of a paycheck.”SWAPA calls on Congress to act now: pass a clean Continuing Resolution, return to Washington, and work in a bipartisan manner to address the challenges each side is so passionate about. Our National Airspace System, the workers that support it, and the traveling public depend on it."
I wish someone would step up and pay air traffic controllers
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) October 24, 2025
I flew to Cincinnati and back this week for a funeral
Every air traffic controller I talked to was very nice, but there was something about their voice that told me those men and women were beyond stressed out pic.twitter.com/y0OlxdQAsG
Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, also urged Congress to take the necessary steps to reopen the government.
“It is time for our leaders to come to the table in good faith to make a deal that will reopen the government. Airline pilots stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters at NATCA and with all the federal workers who are continuing to work without a paycheck during this shutdown," Ambrosi said. "The job of keeping aviation safe and secure is tough on an easy day, but forcing them to do it without pay undermines the safety and security of our entire system. We are at a critical moment in aviation safety, and we need our leaders to be focused on the necessary infrastructure and staffing improvements.”
The group Airlines for America said that its members need to get paid so its members can pay bills.
“At this time of record air travel and increased reliance on cargo shipments, stability and predictability for U.S. aviation are more important than ever. Missed paychecks for the federal employees charged with the safe and efficient facilitation of our national airspace unnecessarily increase stress for the thousands of air traffic controllers, TSA officers and CBP employees who work every day to keep aviation safe and secure. Aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the world — but to maintain that record a system under stress must slow down, reducing efficiency and causing delays for travelers and shippers. We urge elected leaders to act with an appropriate sense of urgency to solve this problem and immediately reopen the federal government. The quickest and simplest way to ensure those critical employees are paid is by passing a clean CR."
Major unions collectively representing tens of thousands of pilots for U.S. airlines joined the airlines in calling on Democrats to pass the clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution, according to media reports.
Coalition of Airline Pilots Association: “On behalf of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) and its 30,000 members, we call on Congress to end the government shutdown by passing a clean Continuing Resolution. We as pilots adhere to strict procedures promoting safety as our most important priority. We have seen the stress and tension this year on the National Airspace System due to short-staffed air traffic controllers. This shutdown only compounds the pressures they face as they now report to work without a paycheck. It’s time to recognize their contributions, along with our colleagues at TSA, who ensure we fly in the safest skies every day with the trust of the American flying public. Congress must support these men and women by ending this shutdown immediately.”
Allied Pilots Association President First Officer Nick Silva: “Congress should reconvene and work in a bipartisan manner to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to fund and reopen the government. We stand with our brothers and sisters in air traffic control and TSA who continue to show up to work every day without a paycheck. These men and women take their oath seriously to guarantee a safe National Airspace System so that we, the pilots, can ensure the flying public reaches their destinations in a timely manner and without harm. As the shutdown stretches on and airports encounter potential delays, it only intensifies the pressure these aviation professionals confront in the face of not getting paid. It’s time we support these men and women and reopen the federal government.”
NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots President Capt. Pedro Leroux: “How can we possibly expect our industry peers to be fully focused on their responsibilities – chief of which is keeping the flying public safe and secure – when many are likely wondering how long they are going to go without pay. And, more specifically, how do they continue to care for their families – to put food on the table? Our members rely on ATC, in particular, to provide critical direction and support during all phases of flight. Today is day 23 of the shutdown, and the strain this is placing on all stakeholders – federal employees, flight crews and the traveling public is taking a toll. It is indisputable that our system is less safe today than it was on Oct. 1 when the shutdown began.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, blamed President Donald Trump for the federal shutdown. However, Senate Democrats have voted 12 times not to reopen the government.
I am closely tracking Tropical Storm Melissa as it threatens to hit Haiti, the DR, Jamaica, and other Caribbean islands.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 24, 2025
This is exactly the type of crisis that USAID was designed to help.
But Trump and Rubio shuttered it. They must ready disaster and humanitarian response to…
Southwest Airlines Pilots Association President Capt. Jody Reven called on Congress to pass a clean funding bill.
“Considering the strain on our nation’s aviation system, SWAPA strongly urges Congress to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government. Our air traffic controllers and the broader air traffic system are already operating under immense pressure — a government shutdown only compounds that stress and threatens the efficiency of our skies as we see the impact of reduced controller availability at facilities across the country. Likewise, TSA professionals continue to show up every day to safeguard the traveling public, even without pay. These men and women deserve our full support and the certainty of a paycheck.” They join other key industry leaders in calling on Democrats to immediately end the shutdown and return the country to regular order.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels also said that federal employees need to be paid.
"NATCA advocates for every excepted employee, every federal employee that’s out there, to be paid no matter what the circumstance, no matter what the shutdown. And we’re ensuring that our message is loud and clear. There’s one way to do it. And that’s by ending this shutdown and putting everybody back to work and having them compensated for the work they do day in and day out, especially air traffic controllers.”
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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