{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=490D3215-A968-4D71-9BC4-D531D259A0D8", "Thune: After Shutdown Turbulence, Air Travel Modernization Is Ready for Takeoff", "2025-12-01", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Clickhereto watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.\n\n\u201cMore than 80 million Americans traveled for the holiday last week.\n\n\u201cAnd while most of them packed up the car and hit the road, about 6 million Americans boarded planes to spend the holiday with relatives and friends across the country.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019m sure all of them were breathing a sigh of relief that the government shutdown was over and that air traffic control had resumed normal operations before their trips.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the impact on air travel was one of the most visible aspects of the chaos that ensued during the Democrats\u2019 43-day government shutdown.\n\n\u201cFlights were snarled throughout the shutdown, but it got progressively worse as the shutdown drug on.\n\n\u201cBy the time Democrats\u2019 shutdown entered its second month, the FAA was forced to order \u2026 cutbacks in air traffic as a matter of safety.\n\n\u201cAnd more would have been required if we hadn\u2019t been able to finally reopen the government when we did.\n\n\u201cSo Mr. President, I\u2019m relieved that air traffic was able to get back to normal levels before the holiday travel surge.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019m grateful to the thousands of air traffic controllers who were on duty during the shutdown without pay, and who work hard every day to keep planes moving quickly and safely.\n\n\u201cThey have an important job, and I know that every controller shares a commitment to putting safety first \u2013 whether it\u2019s a normal day, the middle of a snowstorm, or a government shutdown.\n\n\u201cMr. President, even before the shutdown, our air traffic control system was facing challenges.\n\n\u201cAnd modernization efforts have been a priority for both the Trump administration and for Congress this year.\n\n\u201cBefore the holiday, the Commerce Committee\u2019s Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing that examined air traffic operations during the shutdown as well as the challenges that existed prior to the shutdown and that still exist today.\n\n\u201cAnd I appreciate Chairman Moran\u2019s attention to these important issues.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019m grateful that my colleagues are taking the time to delve into the challenges facing air traffic control.\n\n\u201cAt least our Republican colleagues, Mr. President, are taking the time.\n\n\u201cThe lead Democrat on that panel called the hearing \u2018political theater,\u2019 and Democrats\u2019 witness for the Aviation Subcommittee talked only about \u2013 get this \u2013 Obamacare.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s right, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cObamacare.\n\n\u201cA hearing to examine air traffic safety and air traffic control \u2013 and that was the only witness the Democrats asked to come and testify.\n\n\u201cSo I\u2019m hoping this was a one-time political [stunt] and not an indication of the attitude the Democrats are going to take going forward.\n\n\u201cBecause we have a lot more work to do on this issue.\n\n\u201cRepublicans remain focused on improving air travel and safety, and that hearing was just one part of our continued efforts.\n\n\u201cEarlier this year, Republicans took a major step forward in air traffic modernization with the One Big Beautiful Bill, which made a significant investment in technology improvements for the air traffic system.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the systems being used in air traffic control towers today are in desperate need of an update.\n\n\u201cThis funding will help to deploy state-of-the-art technology to towers across America.\n\n\u201cOne example of the need for modernization is what happened at the Newark airport \u2013 one of the busiest airports in the country \u2013 earlier this year.\n\n\u201cIn April and May, Newark experienced equipment outages that led to major flight delays and significant disruptions in air travel.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration moved quickly to address these issues and bring Newark back to full strength, but the underlying issue is aging technology across the air traffic control system.\n\n\u201cIssues that are only exacerbated when adverse conditions strike, such as severe weather or the recent government shutdown.\n\n\u201cThe investment from the One Big Beautiful Bill will go a long way toward solving the underlying technology problems and will strengthen the entire system.\n\n\u201cMr. President, another challenge is the shortage of air traffic controllers.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re almost 4,000 controllers short of full strength, which means that controllers at a number of airports need to work longer hours and more shifts to keep the system going.\n\n\u201cAddressing this shortfall has been a priority for the Trump administration, which has devoted attention to hiring and training additional controllers.\n\n\u201cI appreciate that the administration managed to keep hiring and training operations going throughout the shutdown, which lessened the potential long-term consequences for America\u2019s skies.\n\n\u201cRepublicans and Democrats here in Congress are focused, too, on supporting hiring and training efforts.\n\n\u201cAnd this year\u2019s transportation funding bill \u2013 which I hope to take up in the near future \u2013 supports sustained hiring and training to add 2,500 new controllers next year.\n\n\u201cMr. President, upgrading outdated technology and adding new air traffic controllers will make a big difference for the traveling public and for supply chains that rely on air cargo.\n\n\u201cAnd it will help deliver a more modern air traffic system capable of providing more efficient and safer skies for all Americans.\n\n\u201cThings won\u2019t be fixed overnight, but thanks to the Trump administration and our continued efforts in Congress, we are making progress toward a state-of-the-art air traffic control system for America.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I\u2019m glad that the system is back at full strength after the shutdown.\n\n\u201cAnd we\u2019re working to make it stronger every day.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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": 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