Congressman DeSaulnier Statement on Air Safety Amid Ongoing Shutdown

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) released the following statement on air safety amid the ongoing government shutdown and in response to the Trump Administration's decision to cancel thousands of flights beginning today.

"The safety of the flying public is something that cannot be compromised. But it's also something that shouldn't be used as a political maneuver. Cancelling thousands of flights per day should not have been a decision that was made lightly, but still we're left with a lot of unanswered questions, like why now, why this many flights, why these airports, what was the danger, and more. The American people deserve to know what motivated this decision.

I have been engaged with aviation stakeholders throughout the shutdown and one thing is clear-they are more committed than ever to the safety of the system, but the shutdown needs to end so the hardworking air traffic control professionals, who are already overworked, get paid. We in Congress should all be working every minute of every day to address health care costs and end the shutdown."

Congressman DeSaulnier is a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he serves on the Aviation Subcommittee, and the Education and Workforce Committee. As part of his ongoing effort to improve aviation safety, Congressman DeSaulnier authored provisions that were included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R. 3935), which reauthorizes the FAA for five years while creating a safer, cleaner, more sustainable, and more accessible U.S. aviation system.