Donald Trump, Monday, November 10, threatened air traffic controllers who stopped their activities due to budget paralysis to withhold part of their salaries if they did not return. ” direct “ at workplace. “Whoever doesn’t do it will get a big cut” regarding their salaries, the President of the United States also wrote on his network, Truth Social, stating the opposite a “$10,000 bonus”per person, for those who remained at their posts during the closure.
America’s air traffic controllers union on Monday called on lawmakers to end a budget paralysis that is costing them pay and, the union said, jeopardizing aviation safety. “For forty-one days, air traffic controllers were plagued by financial uncertainty that created stress, frustration and pressure, preventing them from focusing 100% on their mission.”lamented NATCA union president Nick Daniels.
More than 2,200 flights were canceled on Sunday in the United States, a much higher figure than on Saturday, according to specialist website FlightAware. International travel has essentially been avoided. Since Friday, America’s aviation regulator, the FAA, has asked companies to gradually reduce their domestic flight schedules. “Air traffic will not decrease while everyone wants to travel to see their families” on the occasion of the traditional Thanksgiving holiday in late November, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Friday on Fox News.
Since the beginning of October, American states have been in a situation of budget paralysis. Hundreds of thousands of federal civil servants are working without pay, including air traffic controllers.
The question of health costs is at the center of the debate
On Monday, the country’s budget paralysis will come to an end after a deal was reached in the Senate between the Republican majority and some moderate Democrats, who are already facing the wrath of their camp. Passage of the new budget text by the Senate is expected to take place Monday evening, or even overnight. The bill will then be submitted to the House of Representatives, for a vote, possibly as early as Wednesday. Once approved by both houses of Congress, the bill will reach Donald Trump’s desk to be announced and end the government shutdown.
At the heart of the dispute between Republicans and Democrats: the question of health care costs. Donald Trump’s party, which has a majority in Congress, proposed a modest extension of the current budget, while the opposition demanded an extension of subsidies for the Obamacare health insurance program, aimed mainly at low-income households.
These subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year, and health insurance costs are expected to more than double by 2026 for the 24 million Americans on Obamacare, according to KFF, a think tank specializing in health issues.
Due to current rules in the Senate, multiple Democratic votes are needed to approve the budget even if Republicans have a majority. As of Sunday, only three opposition senators had voted for the Republican text. But after a behind-the-scenes deal, the other five people ultimately voted for the new text.
