{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-tokuda-meets-with-air-traffic-controllers-across-hawaii-amid-shutdown-strain", "Rep. Tokuda Meets with Air Traffic Controllers Across Hawai\u02bbi Amid Shutdown Strain", "2025-10-28", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Jill N. Tokuda", "T000487", "tokuda.house.gov", "tokuda", "https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases?PageNum_rs=2&", "scraper", "Hawai\u02bbi - Today, air traffic controllers nationwide are missing their first full paychecks due to the Republican shutdown, which entered its fifth week. As a show of support and gratitude, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda met with numerous air traffic controllers on O\u02bbahu, Maui, and Hawai\u02bbi Island over the past two weeks and discussed the ongoing shutdown\u2019s impacts on aviation safety and the livelihoods of federal workers.\n\nNationwide, the workforce includes 10,800 controllers and 3,300 trainees, yet there remains a shortage of 3,800 positions. In addition to understaffing, controllers report burnout from grueling 10-hour shifts, mandatory overtime to keep up with day-to-day operations, and mounting anxiety as Hawai\u02bbi approaches the busy holiday travel season.\n\nRep. Tokuda thanked controllers for continuing to keep Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s skies safe despite working without pay and emphasized how essential they are to Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s medical transport system, economy, and inter-island connectivity. Controllers continue to uphold the highest safety standards even as preventive maintenance stalls, engineers remain furloughed, and staffing needs grow.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s important that we recognize the service and sacrifice of our air traffic controllers, and all our dedicated federal workers, not just during a shutdown, but every day,\u201d said Rep. Tokuda. \u201cThese men and women are the reason families reach their destinations safely, the reason medical transports land on time, the reason our islands stay connected to one another and the world. They continue to show up, even without pay, out of love for their work and care for Hawai\u02bbi. I have nothing but the deepest mahalo for their professionalism and sacrifice, and I stand ready to work around the clock, with anyone negotiating in good faith, to reopen the government and give these workers the pay and stability they deserve.\u201d\n\nPhotos available from O\u02bbahu, Maui, and Hawai\u02bbi Island visits.\n\n###", 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://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-tokuda-meets-with-air-traffic-controllers-across-hawaii-amid-shutdown-strain"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8382401429116726, "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"}