VIDEO: Sen. Moran Speaks on Senate Floor on Harmful Impacts of Government Shutdown on U.S. Aviation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) - chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee - spoke on the Senate floor tonight on the harmful impacts of the government shutdown on U.S. aviation and to urge the passage of a clean spending bill to reopen the government. The ongoing government shutdown is the longest in history.

"Exactly one month ago today, I stood on the Senate floor and spoke about the impact that the government shutdown was having on an already troubled aviation system," said Sen. Moran. "And that the traveling public was facing tremendous challenges with that shutdown, and I cautioned against prolonging it. Now thirty days later, we're still here.

"Thanksgiving is only eighteen days away," continued Sen. Moran. "Americans are purchasing, or would have purchased, or have already purchased tickets to be with their families. If we remain in a shutdown much longer, it will become increasingly difficult for airlines to deliver on their promises to their customers."

"The circumstances we are in cannot continue," said Sen. Moran. "We must reopen the government. I urge my colleagues to pass a clean, continuing resolution to reopen the government."<_o3a_p>

Click HERE to Watch Sen. Moran's Full Remarks

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Sen. Moran's full remarks as delivered:

"Exactly one month ago today, I stood on the Senate floor and spoke about the impact that the government shutdown was having on an already troubled aviation system, and that the traveling public was facing tremendous challenges with that shutdown, and I cautioned against prolonging it. Now thirty days later, we're still here.

"I was concerned that if the shutdown continued, it could force the closure of parts of our airspace and lead to further reductions in the air traffic controller workforce. Unfortunately, both these concerns have materialized in what has become the longest government shutdown in our nation's history. With 2,300 cancelations and counting today, Sunday, it will go down as one of the worst days in air travel. I've never seen anything good come from a government shutdown.

"Lapses in federal funding have made it harder for families to access SNAP benefits, HEAD START programs have been put on pause and thousands of federal employees are unable to receive a paycheck. This disfunction is damaging enough to our constituents and economy here at home, but it also sends a dangerous message to the watching world. It demonstrates to our allies that we are an unreliable partner, and it signals to our adversaries that we can't work together to meet even the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress.

"As this shutdown continue, I want to particularly focus on the impact that this lapsed funding is having on the aviation industry. TSA Agents and air traffic controllers have had to continue working while missing two paychecks. It's a stressful job, and one that has grown increasingly more difficult throughout the year.

"Combine that with uncertainty on how to pay rent, put food on the table and gas in your car, it is no surprise that we're seeing more and more controllers not show up to work. We are already facing a shortage of controllers and now we are seeing more having to pick up second jobs to pay the bills or seeing some quit entirely. Our inaction and our inability to gain consensus are deterring young people interested in futures such as air traffic controllers or other aviation professionals from pursuing those careers.

"The vulnerabilities in our aviation system have led Secretary Sean Duffy to begin reducing flights by 10 percent at 40 major airports. Airlines, businesses and general aviation alike are cutting into their operations to make certain that airspace is as safe as possible. It is critical to know that these impacts are not lopsided on those high traffic areas. Small and medium hub airports, such as we have in Kansas, that connect to those 40, are experiencing this pain just as much. While this is a painful step, it is necessary for the safety of the traveling public, and I support Secretary Duffy's decision.

"American Airlines indicated to me they have canceled more than 240 flights yesterday, and delayed more than a thousand flights, impacting more than 150,000 passengers. Airlines for America said that staffing shortages disrupted the flights of more than 4 million passengers from October 1st to November 7th on their partner airlines. And that was before the mandatory reductions were put in place by the Department of Transportation. We can expect more cuts if we do not reopen the government.

"We saw how fragile our air system is - and it's the reason I highlight aviation and the consequences of the shutdown tonight. We saw how fragile our air system earlier this year when a series of failures led to a midair collision on January the 29th, which claimed the lives of 67, including those of Kansas.

"That accident forced Congress and our nation to reckon with an issue that has plagued us for decades: why have we not effectively modernized our air space system? Since that crash, steps have been taken to train more controllers and improve the aviation system, including a $12.5 billion dollar investment in modernizing our air space, but those efforts are becoming much more difficult to accomplish during a shutdown.

"Unfortunately, the position the aviation industry finds itself in today cannot be easily solved, but we cannot even begin to solve it unless we reopen the government. Every day we remain shut down the fragility of this system intensifies.

"Thanksgiving is only eighteen days away. Americans are purchasing, or would have purchased, or have already purchased tickets to be with their families. If we remain in a shutdown much longer, it will become increasingly difficult for airlines to deliver on their promises to their customers.

"The circumstances we are in cannot continue. We must reopen the government. I urge my colleagues to pass a clean, continuing resolution to reopen the government. I'm committed to working with my colleagues to address the concerns they have, and any issues brought forth by the shutdown.

"We must return to regular order, advance a clean CR and these three appropriation bills, and then consider further appropriations and these issues that many of us care so deeply about. Our constituents and our nation depend upon us to do so."<_o3a_p>

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