Washington, DC (EFE).- Flight delays, worker frustration, and mounting political tension are rising across the United States as the federal government shutdown entered its fifth week on Tuesday, with hundreds of thousands of employees unpaid and air traffic controllers missing their first full paycheck due to the funding freeze.
The situation marks one of the most visible consequences of the political deadlock in Congress, where lawmakers failed for the 13th time to pass a temporary funding bill to reopen federal agencies.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) warned that air traffic safety is at risk as controllers, deemed essential workers, continue working 10-hour shifts, six days a week, without pay.
“This job is already stressful. We make thousands of split-second decisions every day,” said NATCA President Nick Daniels. “We already received one partial check, and now we’re not getting paid at all. That’s unacceptable.”
The union fears that more controllers will begin missing shifts or seek temporary income elsewhere, worsening staff shortages that already plague the US aviation system.
“All of this makes the system less safe,” Daniels said. “The only way to keep it safe is to reduce the number of aircraft in the air.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the strain on essential staff, saying: “They do really important work for our country and they need to show up. But I I’m not going to lie to anybody to not say that they’re not feeling the stress.”
Duffy said the shutdown directly contributed to 44% of flight delays on Sunday and 24% on Monday, underscoring the immediate operational toll on the nation’s air network.
Federal workers’ union demand end to shutdown
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal workers’ union in the US, urged Congress to act immediately.
“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley in a statement. “It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today.”
Kelley called it a “national disgrace” that federal employees must “stand in line at food banks after missing a second paycheck.”
The AFGE represents more than 800,000 government employees, many of whom are either working without pay or furloughed indefinitely.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, at least 670,000 federal workers are on unpaid leave, while another 730,000 continue to work without receiving salaries.
Political stalemate blocks reopening efforts
The Senate on Tuesday once again rejected a Republican-backed stopgap bill that would have extended government funding through Nov. 21.
The measure fell short of the 60 votes needed, with Democrats opposing it because it did not include an extension of Obamacare subsidies set to expire later this year.
The Republican majority (53) needs at least seven Democratic votes to move the bill forward.
But Democrats insist that negotiations on health care must accompany any agreement to reopen the government, while conservatives refuse to discuss health funding before ending the shutdown.
Sen. Dick Durbin, a leading Democrat, acknowledged the “terrible situation” faced by federal employees but stopped short of endorsing the GOP proposal.
His colleague Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Democrats remain committed to reopening the government “without allowing health care costs to skyrocket.”
This is now the second-longest government shutdown in US history, following the 35-day standoff of 2018–2019, which ended only after mounting pressure from the airline industry and airport disruptions caused by air traffic controller absences. EFE
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