{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/watch-davids-discusses-impact-government-shutdown-aviation-safety-workforce", "WATCH: Davids Discusses Impact of Government Shutdown on Aviation Safety, Workforce", "2025-10-30", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Representative Sharice Davids hosted a press conference to highlight the ongoing government shutdown and its impact on aviation safety and the workforce, including the first missed paychecks for aviation workers this week. Davids \u2014 who recently announced support for new legislation to ensure aviation operations continue smoothly and employees are paid during a shutdown \u2014 has consistently called for a bipartisan solution to reopen the government and protect the livelihoods of Kansans.\n\n\u201cGovernment shutdowns have real consequences for the real people who keep our skies safe and our travel systems running,\u201d said Davids. \u201cAviation workers are dedicated public servants, and no one should have to go weeks without a paycheck due to partisan political gridlock in Washington. Congress must come together to reopen the government \u2013 it\u2019s been too long, and Kansans are hurting.\u201d\n\nWATCH: Davids was joined by a union leader who led Kansas City\u2019s air traffic controller workforce during the 2018\u20132019 government shutdown\n\nDuring the press conference, Davids was joined by Todd Mariani, who retired earlier this year after decades as an air traffic controller and served as Kansas City\u2019s air traffic controller union president during the 2018\u20132019 shutdown. The pair detailed the strain shutdowns place on aviation safety systems, including delays in critical maintenance, interruptions to training, and increased stress on employees responsible for keeping the skies safe. The discussion highlighted the human impact of the shutdown, with aviation workers and their families facing financial uncertainty as essential services continue without pay.\n\n\u201cI saw firsthand during the last shutdown how it affects aviation safety and our workforce,\u201d said Todd Mariani, former Kansas City Center National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President. \u201cDuring a shutdown, [air traffic controllers] are required to show up to work without pay, creating unnecessary stress for them and their families\u2026 We need bipartisan support and bipartisan cooperation to get the government reopened.\u201d\n\nImpact of the shutdown on aviation:\n\nAir traffic controllers and other aviation employees are working without pay, causing financial strain.\n\nSafety-critical maintenance and inspections may be delayed, increasing risks for travelers.\n\nStaffing shortages and overtime demands contribute to employee stress and fatigue.\n\nTravel disruptions and operational inefficiencies affect both commercial and general aviation.\n\nThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employs fewer than 11,000 fully certified controllers \u2014 well below recommended levels \u2014 forcing many to work overtime in high-pressure environments. Davids recently toured the Air Route Traffic Control Center in Olathe. She emphasized the urgent need to invest in air traffic control staffing and safety infrastructure following a recent air collision involving a passenger aircraft and military helicopter originating from Wichita.\n\nA shutdown has serious impacts on Kansas families and the overall U.S. economy. Americans now face disruptions to important benefits, service members are not being compensated, many small businesses have altered their operations, and federal workers have been furloughed without pay. Specifically:\n\nIt\u2019s estimated the five-week partial government shutdown in 2018-2019 reduced economic output by $11 billion in the following two quarters, and the 2013 full government shutdown reduced GDP growth by $20 billion.\n\nKansans receiving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits are experiencing service delays, including disruptions to verifying benefits and the issuance of new cards.\n\nThere are currently more than 25,000 federal workers in Kansas who may have been furloughed.\n\nA bipartisan report found that the last three government shutdowns led to the equivalent of 56,940 years in lost productivity from federal workers.\n\nThe distribution of important food assistance programs, including SNAP, has been disrupted, leaving some Kansans \u2014 including women, children, and the elderly \u2014 without nutritious food.\n\nSmall businesses are dealing with delays in receiving loans from the federal government.\n\nMoody\u2019s Analytics estimated that the 2018-2019 shutdown delayed more than $2 billion in loans to small businesses.\n\nTravelers are seeing longer lines at airport security checkpoints and flight delays. They\u2019re also dealing with delayed passport processing times.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/watch-davids-discusses-impact-government-shutdown-aviation-safety-workforce"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8118380792438984, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}