Delta Air Lines has pulled its flight assistance service for Congressional members amid the ongoing shutdown.
“Due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta,” an airline spokesperson told The Hill. “Next to safety, Delta’s no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment.”
Delta CEO Ed Bastian joined other aviation CEOs to urge that Congress come to a solution to end the partial shutdown. “This problem is solvable, and there are solutions on the table,” the letter read. “Now it’s up to you, Congress, to move forward on bipartisan proposals that will get federal aviation workers—including TSA officers, U.S. Customs clearance officers at airports and air traffic controllers—paid during shutdowns.”
Speaking to CNBC, Bastian said that it is “inexcusable that our security agents, front-line workers central to what we do, are not being paid.”
“It’s ridiculous to see them used as political chips. We’re outraged,” he declared. “Over 90% of the American public supports these people getting paid. Ask our folks in Washington to do their job and get our people paid. They can do it.”
A newly introduced bill also seeks to strip members of Congress of their airport security perks as TSA agents miss paychecks and American families face lines stretching hours at airport checkpoints across the country. The legislation would end taxpayer-funded expedited screening and security escorts for lawmakers during the ongoing DHS funding shutdown.
