Sen. Moran Highlights Harmful Consequences of a Government Shutdown on U.S. Aviation System

WASHINGTON - Nine days into a federal government shutdown, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) - chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee - spoke on the Senate floor about the harmful consequences of the shutdown on the U.S. aviation system.

"The failure to pass a continuing resolution is slowly crushing our aviation system," said Sen. Moran. "Our system is too fragile, and the stakes are too high for us to continue operating the national aviation system in the manner we are doing so. We will reach a breaking point, and this could result in the closing of our airspace or portions of it."<_o3a_p>

"We set out earlier this year, in a bipartisan manner, to transform our aviation system and to make it safer for everyone. But that work is significantly hindered without an open and functioning government," continued Sen. Moran. "Every day we remain in a shutdown, the air traffic controller shortage gets worse and the strain on the aviation system intensifies. Our system has a breaking point, and I hope that this dysfunction we are undergoing, I hope it stops before we see dramatic and damaging consequences."<_o3a_p>

"There are consequences to the position we've allowed ourselves to get in, and it affects the safety of Americans every day," concluded Sen. Moran. "Having experienced the loss of life from the flight on January the 29th, from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., we should be doing everything we can to make certain that our air traffic system and the necessary components are in place to make sure that the traveling public has a safe and secure flight when they board a plane in the United States…A shutdown makes absolutely no sense for the benefit of America. I urge my Democratic colleagues to act now to pass this short-term continuing resolution so we can alleviate the pressures on our aviation system, return to doing our jobs and appropriating government funding, and provide much-needed certainty and stability for our nation."

In March 2025, Sen. Moran introduced the Aviation Funding Stability Act, which would allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to draw from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to continue critical operations when appropriations lapse. He has repeatedly introduced this legislation in previous Congresses to provide certainty for the aviation industry during lapses in federal government funding. More information on the legislation can be found here.<_o3a_p>

Click HERE to Watch Sen. Moran's Full Remarks

Sen. Moran's remarks as delivered:

"Mr. President, we're now nine days into a government shutdown. The disruption of the shutdown is being felt by many Americans, particularly what I want to talk about is the many Americans who are traveling or working in the aviation industry.

"Government shutdowns are detrimental to some of our most basic functions of government, and our already fragile air traffic control system is facing strain from this occurrence.

"We're reminded how fragile our air system is - how fragile our air safety system is - by what happened on January, the 29th, when a flight from Wichita, Kansas, did not land safely at Washington-Reagan, and it claimed the lives of 67 people.

"Over the time that I've been in Congress, we've had a number of shutdowns. In many instances, Kansans have told me 'shut her down, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter to me.'

"I've never found the value in a government shutdown.

"That accident that I just mentioned forced Congress and our nation to reckon with an issue that's plagued us for decades: why have we not effectively modernized our airspace system? Since that crash, steps have been taken to train more controllers and enhance the aviation system, including a $12.5 billion dollar investment in modernizing our airspace, but those efforts become much more difficult while Congress fails to keep government operating and a shutdown is in place.

"The Wall Street Journal just this week aptly summed up the current crisis, stating we 'have a system under pressure that now just has another 100 pounds of weight on it.'

"The failure to pass a continuing resolution [CR] is slowly crushing our aviation system. Our system is too fragile, and the stakes are too high for us to continue operating the national aviation system in the manner we are doing so. We will reach a breaking point, and this could result in the closing of our airspace or portions of it.

"The consequences of the shutdown on our aviation system aren't isolated to major cities and large airports. The viability of the Essential Air Service Program is also now put at risk. This program incentivizes airlines to provide commercial flights to rural communities that normally wouldn't be able to attract business from major airlines on their own. In Kansas, there are five such airports that use this program to provide flights to their communities.

"These flights allow my constituents to fly to larger cities for business, to see family, to make doctor appointments and so many other things. Several of these airports have seen, and continue to see, record levels of passenger growth.

"All these factors are chipping away at the sustainability and safety of our nation's aviation system.

"In previous Congresses, I introduced the Aviation Funding Stability Act - which allows the FAA to draw from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to make certain that critical operations can continue when there is an appropriations lapse. In March of this year, I reintroduced the bill as we faced this threat of a shutdown, and this legislation is still important, but the fact is the only real solution here is to pass the continuing resolution.<_o3a_p>

"We set out earlier this year, in a bipartisan manner, to transform our aviation system and to make it safer for everyone. But that work is significantly hindered without an open and functioning government. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, of which I'm a member, has done its job. I joined my colleagues in advancing the FY2026 funding bill for the Department of Transportation but including all the aviation matters at the FAA and otherwise. We did that in July.

"It included more than $22 billion for the FAA - the Federal Aviation Administration - with $5 billion for the FAA's Facilities and Equipment account - critical funding for modernizing outdated equipment in our nation's airspace. This legislation also included funding to hire 2,500 air traffic controllers to close the gap in our workforce.

"Every day we remain in a shutdown, the air traffic controller shortage gets worse and the strain on the aviation system intensifies. Our system has a breaking point, and I hope that this dysfunction we are undergoing, I hope it stops before we see dramatic and damaging consequences.

"Mr. President, my point is that the continuing resolution is standing in the way of the appropriations process. We have a Majority Leader who is willing to bring appropriations bills to the floor; they deserve the Senate consideration of those appropriations bills. The challenge we faced was getting them done by the end of the fiscal year, and therefore, we put in a place a continuing resolution until a date in later November. This is a straightforward continuing resolution to give us the time to complete the appropriations process, including the money for the Transportation Department and the safety components that are included therein.

"My second point is that a continuing resolution is necessary to avoid a shutdown. That point is that a shutdown is damaging to our nation in many ways. It's broadly damaging to us because it allows those who are critics, those who are adversaries, to realize that we're not as capable of functioning as we should be. And even our allies wonder what's going on in the United States.

"The point I want to make: there are consequences to the position we've allowed ourselves to get in, and it affects the safety of Americans every day. And having experienced the loss of life from the flight on January, the 29th, from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., we should be doing everything we can to make certain that our air traffic system and the necessary components are in place to make sure that the traveling American citizens and the citizens of the world that use our airline system have a safe and secure flight when they board a plane in the United States. And the silliness of where we are today is impeding our ability to make that true.

"I don't know when a shutdown makes sense, but the consequences of this one… A short-term, clean CR for a few more weeks to complete our appropriations work - a shutdown makes absolutely no sense for the benefit of America. I urge my Democratic colleagues to act now to pass this short-term continuing resolution so we can alleviate the pressures on our aviation system, return to doing our jobs and appropriating government funding, and provide much-needed certainty and stability for our nation."<_o3a_p>

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