纽约-美国航空公司、达美航空公司、西南航空公司和捷蓝航空公司的首席执行官们恳求国会恢复对国土安全部的拨款，并接受两党合作的解决方案，在政府部分关闭期间支付包括机场安全官员在内的联邦航空工作人员的工资。
“在又一次政府关门之际，航空旅行再次成为政治足球，”高管们在一封致国会的公开信中写道。这封信周日在网上和《华盛顿邮报》发布。
这封信还由UPS、联邦快递和阿特拉斯航空公司的首席执行官签署，信中说，国会应该通过《航空资金偿付能力法案》和《航空资金稳定法案》，这将保证空中交通管制员无论政府的资金状况如何都得到支付，以及《保持美国飞行法案》。这项措施将为负责提供安全和检查所有旅客的运输安全管理局官员提供同样的保护。
信中写道:“当你拿不到工资的时候，很难，如果不是不可能，把食物放在桌子上，给汽车加汽油，付房租。”
目前的部分关闭只影响到国土安全部，其中包括运输安全管理局。国会中的民主党人拒绝资助该部门，反对其移民执法策略。这一失误标志着不到一年的时间里第三次关闭，导致TSA工人暂时没有工资——一旦政府重新开放，就必须等待欠薪。
民主党议员表示，在今年早些时候明尼阿波利斯发生致命枪击事件后，除非对联邦移民行动实施新的限制，否则DHS不会获得资金。
首席执行官们指出，随着春假的全面展开，国际足联2026年世界杯的临近以及美国250周年庆典的到来，风险很高。信中说，美国航空公司预计今年春运将有1.71亿乘客。
随着最近一次部分关闭的持续，越来越多的美国机场排起了长长的安检队伍。
运输安全管理局和国土安全部一直指责民主党人造成了漫长的安全防线。
国土安全部上周在其X账户上发布消息称，自关闭开始以来，已有300多名TSA特工辞职。
Airline CEOs demand Congress restore DHS funding and pay airport workers
NEW YORK --The CEOs of the nation's top airline companies, including American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, are imploring Congress to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security and embrace a bipartisan solution topay federal aviation workersincluding airport security officers during the partial government shutdown.
“Once again, air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown,” the executives wrote in anopen letterto Congress that was published Sunday online and in The Washington Post.
The letter, which was also signed by the CEOs of the cargo companies UPS, FedEx and Atlas Air, said that Congress should pass the Aviation Funding Solvency Act and the Aviation Funding Stability Act, which would guarantee air traffic controllers are paid regardless of the government’s funding status, as well as the Keep America Flying Act. That measure would offer the same protections to Transportation Security Administration officers tasked to provide security and to screen all travelers.
”It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid," the letter said.
The current partial shutdown affects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA. Democrats in Congress refused to fund the department over objections to its immigration enforcement tactics. The lapse marks the third shutdown in less than a year to leave TSA workers temporarily without pay — and once the government reopens, to have to wait for back pay.
Democratic lawmakers have said DHS won’t get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations following the fatal shootings ofAlex PrettiandRenee Goodin Minneapolis earlier this year.
The CEOs noted that with spring break in full swing, FIFA's World Cup 2026 approaching and celebrations for America's 250th birthday throughout the year, the stakes are high. The letter said that U.S. airlines expect 171 million passengers this spring season.
As the latestpartial shutdowndrags on, there have been long security lines at a growing number of U.S airports.
The TSA and Homeland Security have consistently blamed Democrats for the long security lines.
Homeland Security posted on its X account last week that more than 300 TSA agents have quit since the start of the shutdown.
