A group of pilot unions is urging lawmakers to pass a continuing resolution that would end the government shutdown, Breitbart reported. Republicans have put forth a so-called clean continuing resolution that would fund priorities such as air traffic controllers through the end of the year, but Democrats stubbornly refuse to support it.
Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers continue to go without pay as the Democrats drag their feet. Due to this crisis, statements this week came from unions such as the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, and the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), calling on lawmakers to act.
"We have seen the stress and tension this year on the National Airspace System due to short-staffed air traffic controllers. This shutdown only compounds the pressures they face as they now report to work without a paycheck," a statement from CAPA said.
The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations went on to say that they were urging "Congress to end the government shutdown by passing a clean Continuing Resolution." However, Democrats simply won't budge.
Other unions also made impassioned pleas for the Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, to end the shutdown. SWAPA president, Captain Jody Even, said in a statement that the union "strongly urges Congress to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government."
First Officer Nick Silva of the APA shared similar sentiments in a statement. "Congress should reconvene and work in a bipartisan manner to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to fund and reopen the government,"
“We stand with our brothers and sisters in air traffic control and TSA who continue to show up to work every day without a paycheck. These men and women take their oath seriously to guarantee a safe National Airspace System so we, the pilots, can ensure the flying public reaches their destinations in a timely manner and without harm," Silva added.
Airlines for America, which bills itself as a "trade association for the leading U.S. airlines," said in a news release that paychecks being withheld from air traffic controllers and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) cause unnecessary risk. "Missed paychecks for the federal employees charged with the safe and efficient facilitation of our national airspace unnecessarily increases stress for the thousands of air traffic controllers, TSA officers and CBP employees who work every day to keep aviation safe and secure," the news release said.
The association added that it would "urge elected leaders to act with an appropriate sense of urgency to solve this problem and immediately reopen the federal government." They said the "quickest and simplest way to ensure those critical employees are paid is by passing a clean CR."
According to Fox News, Schumer and the Senate Democrats once again shot down the 13th Republican attempt to pass the clean resolution on Tuesday. The shutdown is in its 28th day, and Tuesday marked the first day that the air traffic controllers went without pay.
The U.S. military passed that milestone on Friday, and the federal nutrition program was unable to fund benefits on Saturday, which also marked the first day of open enrollment for Obamacare. Following the Democrats' downvote, GOP Rep. Tom Keane of New Jersey slammed Democratic lawmakers for holding out.
"Today, Senate Democrats voted for the 13th time against funding our government — after already rejecting a bill last week to pay air traffic controllers and other essential workers. This is outrageous. 13,000 air traffic controllers won't receive their paychecks today because of these political games," Keane posted to X, formerly Twitter, before concluding, "It's time to reopen the government."
Today, Senate Democrats voted for the 13th time against funding our government — after already rejecting a bill last week to pay air traffic controllers and other essential workers.
This is outrageous. 13,000 air traffic controllers won't receive their paychecks today because… pic.twitter.com/v1r4qK5kof
— Congressman Tom Kean (@CongressmanKean) October 28, 2025
The Democrats are digging themselves into a hole from which they have little chance of emerging any time soon. Hardworking Americans are going without pay because Schumer and his ilk are playing politics with the government shutdown, and that's not something voters are going to forget.
