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Congress remains at a standstill and without an agreement on funding for the federal government, a shutdown will commence on Oct. 1. If the government shuts down, the whole country could see severe disruptions. Workers would be furloughed or be forced to work without pay, training would halt, there would be an increase in travel delays, longer screening times and even airshows may be impacted.
In the event of a shutdown, federally funded FAA and TSA employees would be forced to show up for work without pay, until funding became available. This includes critical workers like air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Officers, whose jobs keep the national airspace safe and operational. USA Today reported that during the 2019 shutdown, it took two weeks without pay before FAA controllers and TSA agents stopped showing up to work. Without a full and functioning workforce, there will be longer lines at security checkpoints and flights will be delayed.
A government shutdown will also stop the production of munitions and combat aircraft. The Department of Defense reported that in 2013, factory workers were sent home and production lines for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft stopped. Many people would be sent home from work or be unable to travel to work on acquisition and sustainment projects. The DOD also shared it has planned testing for an item marked for Ukraine.
"The message it sends to the government workforce is, we're sending people home, our engineers, our acquisition professionals, our sustainers our contracting officers, we're just sending them home and saying you're not essential," said William A. LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
The DOD said another option is that Congress passes a continuing resolution to maintain a previously appropriated year's level of funding for federal programs for a set amount of time. If a CR is passed, production increases will not happen without a special waiver. According to the DOD, past CRs have impacted the production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and Patriot surface-to-air-missile systems, both of which have been sent to Ukraine.
"Unless we can get some type of a waiver, it's not going to happen," LaPlante said.
The White House posted a statement on Wednesday, sharing that if there is a shutdown over 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Officers. Thousands of other personnel in the two agencies would be required to work without pay until funding became available. In August the FAA announced it had achieved its 2023 hiring goal with 1,500 controllers and 2,600 currently training nationwide. Without funding, pay for workers and even training would stop. Many employees will not receive pay until funding is approved, then they will be paid for the work done. But many workers cannot afford to work or train without pay and the threat of a shutdown will seriously harm many of the employees living paycheck to paycheck. Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union told CNN that in the 35-day funding lapse in 2018-2019, many workers were returning holiday presents and taking short-term loans.
"They stood in line at food banks, pulled their children from child care, were unable to put gas in their cars and begged creditors for grace," Greenwald said to CNN. "This is not how the United States of America should treat its own employees."
"Most of our members live paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to miss one payday, let alone more," President of the union Everett Kelley said to CNN. "That's why we are calling on Congress to do its job and pass a budget to prevent a government-wide shutdown."From the U.S Travel Association's government shutdown fact sheet
The U.S. Travel Association reported that the shutdown would cost the U.S. travel economy as much as $140 million each day. A shutdown would also lead to longer visitor visa interview wait times and passport and Global Entry processing delays.
"Each day that passes will cost the travel economy $140 million, an unacceptable prospect that Congress must avoid before the clock runs out and the damages mount," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. "The federal government is already failing the traveler—a shutdown would be further proof of Washington's inability to find reasonable solutions to problems that affect Americans nationwide."
The FAA authorization bill is set to expire on Sept. 30 and without the passage of the full bill, the agency will need an extension to have any funding. The legislation was introduced on June 9 and passed within the House of Representatives with overwhelming support on July 20 with a 351-69 vote. The industry has been advocating for a swift passage of the bill, calling for funding and stability within the FAA and aviation industry. The bill has targeted many changes in the organizational structure of the agency to improve its overall efficiency. The passage will ensure that the FAA has the organization needed to continue ongoing efforts and achieve new efforts to advance aviation. The agency has been without a permanent Administrator and on Sept. 7, President Biden named former FAA official Mike Whitaker as the nominee. Whitaker has been named as the nominee but has yet to be confirmed and officially appointed.RELATED STORIES:President names former official as new FAA nomineeHouse passes FAA reauthorization bill with overwhelming supportHouse, Senate versions of FAA reauthorization bill - What's included in each one
The White House statement said the reason transportation priorities are at risk is due to the House Republicans' efforts to cut funding for important programs instead of working to keep the government open and address the needs of the American people.
"With less than one week before the end of the fiscal year, extreme House Republicans are playing partisan games with peoples' lives and marching our country toward a government shutdown that would have damaging impacts across the country—including risking significant delays for travelers and forcing air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Officers to work without pay," the White House statement said.
The statement said that many House Republicans have proposed a CR with cuts to many programs including rail safety inspections and the TSA but failed to provide funding to avoid air traffic disruptions, over the bipartisan budget deal proposed and voted on months ago. Government funding will run out at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday morning. NBC News reported that Speaker Kevin McCarthy said in an interview Thursday morning that he will not accept the Senate's proposed short-term funding bill because it does not include provisions to address border security.
"Remember, the Senate is their own body, the House is their own body," McCarthy said in an interview on CNBC. "It's not ours to surrender. What happens is when we pass a bill, and they pass a bill, we find where we have differences and come to a conclusion."Navy Blue Angels performing, from Blue Angels Facebook page
The shutdown will impact many federally funded programs and organizations, but it could also halt airshows in the coming months, specifically those involving military aircraft and personnel. The Air and Space Forces reported that troops will not receive paychecks and thousands of civilian employees will be furloughed. A shutdown would be difficult for the air and space forces, affecting things like flying hours, travel, training, equipment acceptance and temporary duty travel. Fox KTVU San Francisco spoke with a Navy spokesperson on Monday who said the Navy is waiting to see how they will proceed, meaning that if there is no funding deal in place, military business will not proceed normally and there will be no tours or Blue Angles airshow.
Fleet week is a Fall tradition in the San Francisco area and a shutdown would limit or exclude the participation of military or government employees that run the event each year, according to The San Francisco Standard. The yearly event honors sea-based members of the military and has become the largest celebration of the U.S. armed forces, particularly the Navy and Coast Guard, in the country.
"We don't know what impact a government shutdown would have," a Fleet Week Air Show Network spokesman said to The San Francisco Standard. "Nothing is canceled yet. Until it happens, until it does, we're full steam ahead."
Budget cuts in 2013 led to the Blue Angels calling off the remaining shows for the year, according to The Florida Times-Union. Canceling the 33 Blue Angels shows in 2013 saved the Navy about $28 million. Not only are shows like these fun for the whole family, but many cities and local businesses rely on the economic impact the shows bring.
Congress has until the end of the week to decide. Without a consensus on funding, many Americans will be without pay or work and the industry, which has been calling for funding and stability all year, will face repercussions.