{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-durbin-demand-faa-to-pay-air-traffic-controllers-the-congressionally-approved-raise-that-administrator-bedford-continues-to-withhold", "Duckworth, Durbin Demand FAA to Pay Air Traffic Controllers the Congressionally-Approved Raise that Administrator Bedford Continues to Withhold", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "IL", "Tammy Duckworth", "D000622", "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "duckworth", "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)\u2014Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation\u2014and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today demanded that FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford immediately hand over the Congressionally-authorized pay raise to the air traffic controller (ATC) workforce that he has held hostage for four months and counting. Despite a 3.8% raise for ATCs being approved by Congress and then signed into law by President Donald Trump in late April, Administrator Bedford continues to withhold 2.8% of that raise as a leverage point to try and get \u201cas much utilization out of our workforce as we can\u201d\u2014even though the ATC workforce is already under tremendous strain.\n\n\u201cControllers work long, high-stress hours and make split-second decisions that keep millions of passengers safe every day. The last thing our National Airspace System needs is a cynical FAA Administrator so hellbent on stretching them thinner that he is willing to withhold their modest 2.8 percent pay raise,\u201d wrote the Senators in their letter to FAA Administrator Bedford.\n\nIn their letter, Duckworth and Durbin warned of the dangers that overworking our controllers even further poses to aviation safety, recruitment and retention efforts.\n\n\u201cSqueezing more \u2018utilization\u2019 out of air traffic controllers who have been understaffed, underpaid and overworked for years will weaken retention and undermine aviation safety,\u201d continued the Senators. \u201cSecretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy made it crystal clear that compensation strengthens staffing\u2026How does withholding a pay increase Congress has already funded \u2018supercharge\u2019 that workforce or improve retention?\u201d\n\nThe Senators also highlighted how hundreds of controllers across the state of Illinois are working overtime and still waiting to receive this raise. They stressed that ATC modernization can only be achieved if we invest in the people who serve as the bedrock of our National Airspace System.\n\n\u201cHolding air traffic controllers\u2019 remaining 2.8 percent pay increase hostage to force a workforce that has operated under mandatory overtime for years to work longer hours is petty, disrespectful and counterproductive. Whether the Trump administration\u2019s Brand New Air Traffic Control System succeeds or fails will depend on the morale of the people expected to run it,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nFull text of the letter is available below and on Senator Duckworth\u2019s website.\n\nAdministrator Bedford:\n\nCongress approved a 3.8 percent pay raise for air traffic controllers in the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-86), which President Donald Trump signed into law on April 30, 2026. In the 127 days since, you have failed to implement the air traffic control (ATC) workforce pay raise Congress authorized and appropriated, and, to date, air traffic controllers, supervisors and managers have only received the governmentwide one percent pay raise. We strongly urge you to recognize and determine that the statutory requirements have been met and immediately implement the remaining 2.8 percent raise.\n\nWhen you testified at a May 19, 2026, hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation\u2019s Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation, you stated, without qualification, that \u201cPeople are the foundation of the National Airspace System,\u201d and acknowledged the urgent need for FAA to \u201chire the best people, give them the best training and the best tools.\u201d We agree with your words but strongly oppose your inaction.\n\nThe extremely overworked, understaffed and deeply stressed ATC workforce is the foundation of the National Airspace System, and these dedicated, highly skilled civil servants deserve, and should have already received, the full 3.8 percent pay raise that Congress approved months ago.\n\nThe statutory conditions Congress established related to the 3.8 percent raise\u2014\u201cimprovements in workforce scheduling, staffing utilization, or other operational efficiencies are achieved that contribute to addressing workforce shortfalls and enhancing aviation safety\u201d\u2014were not a high bar. The notion that your agency has failed to reach an agreement with air traffic controllers that they find satisfactory means that what you are requesting must not benefit controllers.\n\nThis is not surprising, given just last week you told the Washington Examiner that working with the controllers\u2019 union to get \u201cas much utilization out of our workforce as we can\u201d would help \u201cunlock the 2.8%,\u201d and that \u201cif we can figure out how we can engage with . . . the union leadership on the basic watch schedule questions. . . there\u2019s no reason we can\u2019t unlock it this year.\u201d\n\nHolding air traffic controllers\u2019 remaining 2.8 percent pay increase hostage to force a workforce that has operated under mandatory overtime for years to work longer hours is petty, disrespectful and counterproductive. Whether the Trump administration\u2019s Brand New Air Traffic Control System succeeds or fails will depend on the morale of the people expected to run it.\n\nAir traffic controllers are operating a strained system, using antiquated technology, while adapting to air traffic control modernization in real time. Controllers work long, high-stress hours and make split-second decisions that keep millions of passengers safe every day. The last thing our National Airspace System needs is a cynical FAA Administrator so hellbent on stretching them thinner that he is willing to withhold their modest 2.8 percent pay raise.\n\nSqueezing more \u201cutilization\u201d out of air traffic controllers who have been understaffed, underpaid and overworked for years will weaken retention and undermine aviation safety. Your own plan says as much: \u201cChronic use of overtime leads to fatigue, controller burnout and ultimately loss of retention.\u201d\n\nIllinois represents a clear example of the systematic challenges facing air traffic controllers. As of September 20, 2025, the most recent facility data in your plan, Chicago O\u2019Hare tower had 61 certified professional controllers against a target of 88; Chicago TRACON had 76 against a target of 100; Chicago Center had 277 against 290; and Midway tower had 19 against 22. The controllers working in those positions are absorbing the mandatory overtime your plan warns about and have been left waiting months to receive the raise Congress authorized and funded in April.\n\nSecretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy made it crystal clear that compensation strengthens staffing. Announcing the Department of Transportation\u2019s package of controller incentives, he promised it would \u201csupercharge the air traffic controller workforce from both retention and hiring side of the equation.\u201d How does withholding a pay increase Congress has already funded \u201csupercharge\u201d that workforce or improve retention?\n\nWe urge you to expeditiously approve the pay increase that was rightfully earned by our Nation\u2019s hardworking air traffic controllers. Air traffic controllers are the foundation of the National Airspace System. These public safety employees operate on the front line to protect American lives and deserve the full pay raise that Congress authorized and appropriated in April 2026. The $140,000,000 Congress appropriated for it is roughly 1 percent of the $12.5 billion Congress has already provided for the Brand New Air Traffic Control System. You have moved quickly to obligate money for equipment. Move as quickly for the people who will operate it.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"]], "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://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-durbin-demand-faa-to-pay-air-traffic-controllers-the-congressionally-approved-raise-that-administrator-bedford-continues-to-withhold"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.4835600052028894, "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"}