The new budget bill failed to pass as tension between Republicans and Democrats drove Congress into a stalemate. The war between politicians, however, makes the lives of normal people in America much harder by causing delays in public transportation, like airports, and leading to lost jobs or reduced wages. As the United States government shutdown stretched into its seventh day on October 6, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported serious staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, and Philadelphia. According to its estimates, the FAA is approximately 3,800 controllers short of the targeted level of qualified air controllers.
The airport staffing shortage has led to flight delays and cancellations nationwide. “The [air traffic] controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and [October 6th’s] events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring,” said the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The FAA has been trying to hire more air controllers since August 2025 through hiring campaigns and salary increases of 20-30%. They are working towards their goal of getting at least 8900 new air controllers by 2028. However, the US government shutdown hindered the FAA’s attempts. A vast majority of the employees in US airports are no longer getting paid, diminishing the already small number of qualified air controllers and decreasing the net gain of employees. “The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernizing travel infrastructure,” warned Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, in a statement.
In fact, the effects of the government shutdown are already beginning to show. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has reported an uptick in sick leaves on October 6th. The FAA prioritizes safety above all by reducing the number of takeoffs and landings, which causes flight delays and cancellations. Duffy also said that some areas had seen a 50 percent reduction in staffing and warned that if staff levels fall to a level that affects safety, there could be further delays or cancellations.
The staffing shortage across US airports is only one of the first symptoms shown by the government shutdown. In the long term, the shutdown presents not only possible escalation of the airport staff issue, but national security and public health risks as federal workers are either being fired or working without pay. Mass unemployment then hurts the economy as people are forced to spend less. Federal workers are now getting fired or being forced to work without pay due to conflicts between the two parties. The systems that keep the US moving — airports, payrolls, its citizens —will continue to suffer until responsibility and compromise replace rivalry and stubbornness.