By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Thursday that the government shutdown could cause significant disruptions to air travel, as thousands of federal aviation employees continue to work without pay.
Speaking at a new conference at the Capitol, alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders, Duffy acknowledged growing frustration among air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers as the shutdown entered its 23rd day.
"I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be on time. I can’t guarantee that your flight’s not gonna be canceled. It’s gonna depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work every single day," Duffy said, thanking air traffic controllers for working without pay.
Placing the blame for the shutdown on Democrats, Duffy said, "We need you to come to work. But if they do not, we’ll know whose fault it is."
Duffy’s comments came a day after the Senate blocked a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) for the 12th time that would have funded the federal government through Nov. 21.
"I do want to talk about air traffic controllers for a moment, because I think this is incredibly important. They're angry. I've gone to a number of different towers over the course of the last week to 10 days. They're frustrated," he said.
Johnson, for his part, underscored the growing toll on federal aviation workers.
"Right now, there are 13,000 air traffic controllers and more than 50,000 TSA officers who are showing up to work without pay," he said.
The shutdown, the second-longest in US history, began Oct. 1 after a breakdown in negotiations on federal spending priorities. Thousands of federal workers have since been furloughed, or working without pay, while government services have been curtailed or suspended.