John Thune: “Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. More than 80 million Americans traveled for the holiday…”

“Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. More than 80 million Americans traveled for the holiday last week. And while most of them packed up the car and hit the road, about 6 million Americans boarded planes to spend the holidays with relatives and friends across the country. I am sure all of them were breathing a sigh of relief that the government shutdown was over and air traffic control had resumed normal operations before their trips. The impact on air travel was one of the most visible aspects of the chaos that ensued during the Democrats' 43-day shutdown. Flights were snarled throughout the shutdown, but it got progressively worse as the shutdown dragged on. By the time Democrats' shutdown entered its second month, the FAA was forced to order cutbacks in air traffic as a matter of safety, and more would have been required if we hadn't been able to finally reopen the government when we did. I am relieved that air traffic was able to get back to normal levels before the holiday travel surged. I am grateful to the thousands of air traffic controllers who were on duty during the shutdown without pay and who work hard every day to keep planes moving quickly and safely. They have an important job, and I know that every controller shares a commitment to putting safety first, whether it is a normal day, the middle of a snowstorm, or a government shutdown.”