Repeated Bills to Pay Aviation Workers During Shutdowns Stall in Congress

Lawmakers have introduced multiple proposals to ensure air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and other essential aviation personnel receive paychecks during government funding lapses, but the legislation keeps getting stuck.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 6:19pm

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Despite repeated attempts by members of Congress to pass bills that would protect the pay of air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and other essential aviation workers during government shutdowns, the legislation has continued to stall. Proposals like the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, Keep Air Travel Safe Act, and Keep America Flying Act have been introduced in various forms since 2019, but have failed to gain enough momentum to become law. Experts say Congress tends to focus more on headline-grabbing issues rather than passing beneficial legislation that would prevent the disruptions to air travel that occur when these workers go unpaid during funding lapses.

Why it matters

Ensuring the federal employees who control air traffic and screen passengers and bags at U.S. airports get paid during government shutdowns is crucial for maintaining aviation safety and preventing major disruptions to air travel. Repeated funding lapses have led to staffing shortages, delayed flights, and long security lines as air traffic controllers and TSA agents are forced to work without pay. This has a significant impact on the traveling public and the broader economy.

The details

Since 2019, lawmakers have drafted, revised and reintroduced multiple proposals to pay aviation workers who would have to keep reporting for duty in the event of another budget impasse. Bills like the Aviation Funding Stability Act, the Keep Air Travel Safe Act, and the Keep America Flying Act have all aimed to protect the pay of air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and other essential FAA employees. Broader bills like the Shutdown Fairness Act would maintain the pay of essential federal workers across the government. However, session after session, the result has been the same - the legislation has stalled and workers have no guarantees their paychecks won't stop coming again during the next shutdown.

  • In 2019, the Aviation Funding Stability Act was first introduced.
  • In 2021 and 2025, revised versions of the Aviation Funding Stability Act were also introduced.
  • The Aviation Funding Solvency Act was introduced after a government shutdown last fall.
  • The Keep Air Travel Safe Act was filed in October.
  • The Keep America Flying Act was also introduced in October.

The players

Eric Chaffee

A Case Western Reserve law professor whose research includes risk management in the aviation industry.

Carlos Rodriguez

A TSA agent and local union leader in New York.

Johnny Jones

Secretary-treasurer of the TSA division of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Chris Sununu

President and CEO of Airlines for America, a trade group representing major U.S. airlines.

Caleb Harmon-Marshall

A former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access.

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What they’re saying

“Once the crisis is over, people assume that the good times are back. It's easy to pass the next big bill when you're still in the throes of the financial crisis, but once the shutdown is done, people have a relatively short memory of the problems that it created.”

— Eric Chaffee, Law Professor

“Part of the American dream that I was sold was that working for the government was honorable and stable. But this is not honorable or stable.”

— Carlos Rodriguez, TSA Agent and Union Leader

“We're on the chess board.”

— Johnny Jones, Secretary-Treasurer, TSA Division of AFGE

“Congress has the power to end this dysfunction once and for all, and must use any legislative vehicle to accomplish this goal.”

— Modern Skies Coalition

“Right now, lawmakers are sitting on their hands doing nothing with three viable, bipartisan bills that could prevent this mess.”

— Chris Sununu, President and CEO, Airlines for America

What’s next

The president's emergency order to immediately pay TSA agents only covers a single pay period, which may not be enough to bring back workers who have been struggling with missed paychecks and accumulating debt. Lawmakers will need to pass more comprehensive legislation, such as the Aviation Funding Solvency Act or Keep America Flying Act, to provide longer-term pay protections for essential aviation personnel during government shutdowns.

The takeaway

Despite repeated bipartisan efforts, Congress has failed to pass legislation that would ensure air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and other critical aviation workers receive their paychecks during government funding lapses. This political dysfunction has led to major disruptions in air travel, with staffing shortages, delayed flights, and long security lines whenever shutdowns occur. Experts say Congress needs to make this a priority and pass one of the existing bills to end this cycle of uncertainty and instability for these federal employees.