“Today’s Democrat party has surrendered to the radical left. They’ve abandoned American workers and families. They do not want to keep us safe. The safety of the American people is a punchline for the Democrat party.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor about how Senate Democrats are blocking paychecks for federal employees whose job it is to keep Americans safe.
Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:
“Today is day fifteen of the Schumer Shutdown. Day fifteen of this dangerous game Democrats are playing. The Schumer Shutdown is putting lives at risk. It’s doing it each and every time an airplane takes off or lands. Thousands of air traffic controllers keep us safe. Right now, they are working – but they are not getting paid. Yesterday they received a partial paycheck. It was their final paycheck until Democrats end the Schumer Shutdown.
“It’s not just air traffic controllers. TSA agents, Border Patrol agents, ICE agents, and FBI agents also received their final paychecks. These are people making life-or-death decisions. They should not be distracted by financial anxiety.
“As of today, one bank that serves members of the military, federal workers, and their families says that during the Schumer Shutdown 70,000 members have come asking for loans. That’s 70,000 families who need extra help to make ends meet because Democrats are blocking their paychecks. A recent headline from The Wall Street Journal reads: ‘Furloughed Federal Workers Turn to Side Hustles to Survive Shutdown.’
“People with full-time government jobs are desperate for income because their regular paychecks are withheld by Democrats. These workers are struggling to make ends meet. They will not see another dime until Democrats end the Schumer Shutdown. These people need clear heads and clear minds to do their jobs. They should not have to worry about putting food on the table or keeping the lights on because the government is shut down.
“One air traffic controller was blunt about the consequences of the Schumer Shutdown: ‘The financial anxiety doesn’t just hurt morale; it directly affects safety… Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts.’
“Let me tell you what’s going on at airports across the country because air traffic controllers are not getting paid. In Burbank, California, the air traffic control tower went unmanned for six hours. Flights were grounded.
“In Nashville, hundreds of flights were delayed in one day because the air traffic control tower went dark for seven hours.
“In Charlotte, nearly 2,000 flights have been delayed since the start of the Schumer Shutdown.
“In Atlanta – the nation’s busiest airport – air traffic control staffing challenges and delays are mounting with every passing day.
“More than 53,000 flights have been delayed nationwide because of the Schumer Shutdown. Most air traffic controllers live paycheck to paycheck. Senate Democrats expect them to work for free. Why? Because the Minority Leader says, ‘Every day gets better for us.’ Better for whom? Not for the American people. It puts all of us in danger.
“CNN recently published a shocking quote from a Democrat staff member. This staff member said Democrats will not change course with their Schumer Shutdown Strategy until there are ‘planes falling out of the sky.’ Today’s Democrat party has surrendered to the radical left. They’ve abandoned American workers and families. They do not want to keep us safe. The safety of the American people is a punchline for the Democrat party. The far-left is controlling today’s Democrat party. These people are radical, extreme, dangerous, and scary. And they’ve told us how dangerous they are by admitting their shutdown strategy will not change until there are ‘planes falling from the sky.’
“Innocent people are collateral damage in this dangerous political game Democrats are playing. Democrats will have their ninth opportunity today to reopen the government. They will have their ninth opportunity to vote for a bipartisan, clean continuing resolution. A clean continuing resolution that they voted in favor of 13 times when Joe Biden was president. Democrats will have their ninth opportunity to pay the brave men and women who keep our skies clear, our borders secure, and our communities safe. Democrats have an obligation today to reopen the government. They need to do it before there are ‘planes falling from the sky.’”
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