The Government Shutdown and Air Travel

Flgiht delays and cancellations are increasing the longer the government shutdown continues. NBC News Radio National Correspondent Rory O'Neill joins us to discuss the pressure this puts on lawmakers. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Another vote yesterday, day twenty two of the government shutdown.
Let's talk a little bit more about how that affects
you or will or could moving forward. Rory O'Neil, NBC
News Radio National correspondent, is on the liveline. Rory, thanks
for doing this today. Sure, Good morning, Happy Wednesday. So
Sandy and I my current wife, we're in Washington, d C.

(00:21):
For wedding over the weekend, and everybody is affected by
the government shutdown. There, talk to us a little bit
more about because leading into it, going into Washington, d C.
I was sort of thinking, well, I don't know, let's
start with a TSA how much how many backups are

(00:43):
we seeing at airports?

Speaker 2 (00:45):
All right, a few numbers to throw at you.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Overall, there are thirteen thousand air traffic controllers and fifty
thousand TSA officers working without pay this month. Over the weekend,
flight Aware says there were night eighteen thousand flights that
were delayed from Saturday and through Monday. On Sunday alone,
eight thousand delays, also sixteen hundred flight cancelations. Obviously not

(01:10):
all due to air traffic control issues, but that's a
growing part of this Secretary of Transportation Duffy says that
they're seeing a sharp increase in the number of air
traffic controllers calling in sick, using up their sick time
because they're not getting paid. And even Secretary Duffy says,
in their off hours, many of these workers are picking
up jobs as Uber drivers and door dash delivery people

(01:33):
because they need cash for.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Groceries and to put gas in the tank.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
And you know, most Americans don't have five hundred bucks
in the bank, let alone now going into week number
four without a paycheck.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
I shared on Monday on the program two of our
Uber drivers when we were in Washington and DC. We're
picking up extra ships because they worked for the government.
And we're also living paycheck to paycheck, well, right.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
And that's not uncommon. And you know, remember, the five
hundred and thirty five members of Congress are getting paid,
some are declining it, but they are getting paid, but
their staff members are not. And one of the issues
here is that those five hundred and thirty five members
of Congress, all of them are also members of frequent

(02:16):
flyer clubs, like these guys fly a lot and women
and that's one of the reasons that we pay so
much attention to what's happening at airports is because that's
how they see the government shut down as well. Not
just in thinly staffed offices around DC, but when those
senators and members of Congress are trying to get on
a plane, they face the delays too.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Man, I don't see anything on the radar that could
change where we are headed. It could be the longest
shutdown in history. Anything else that's sort of on the
radar that could affect all of us.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Tomorrow, the Senate may vote on a bill that would
pay air traffic controllers TSA and some others select government
agents workers during shutdowns like this might not pass.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
The Democrats may not be on board.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
They may try to block it because it really is
the only muscle they can flex right now.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
So that's a bit up in the air.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
But it's a bad look if you're gonna not pay
TSA workers right and try to say it's about Obamacare subsidies.
You know, Look, if it takes me, it takes me
too long to explain it. Now, imagine being the politician
trying to put it in an ad. So let's let's
see if the Democrats stand by this move.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
NBC News Radio National correspondent Rory O'Neil, Thank you, Thanks Steve,