Jerry Moran: “exactly 1 month ago today, I stood on the Senate floor and spoke about the impact that the government shutdown was…”

“exactly 1 month ago today, I stood on the Senate floor and spoke about the impact that the government shutdown was having on an already troubled aviation system and that the traveling public was facing tremendous challenges with that shutdown, and I cautioned against prolonging it. Now, 30 days later, we are still here. I was concerned that if the government shutdown continued, it could force the closure of parts of the airspace and lead to further reductions in the air traffic controller workforce. Unfortunately, both these concerns have materialized in what has become the longest government shutdown in our Nation's history. With 2,300 cancellations, and counting today--Sunday--it will go down as one of the worst days in air travel. I have never seen anything good come from a government shutdown. Lapses in Federal funding have made it harder for families to access SNAP benefits, Head Start Programs have been put on pause, and thousands of Federal employees are unable to receive a paycheck. This dysfunction is damaging enough to our constituents and economy here at home, but it also sends a dangerous--a dangerous--message to the watching world. It demonstrates to our allies that we are an unreliable partner, and it signals to our adversaries that we can't work together to meet even the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress. As this shutdown continues, I want to particularly focus on the impact this lapsed funding is having on the aviation industry.”