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Denver airport steps up as shutdown squeezes TSA
Denver International Airport is asking travelers to donate grocery and gas gift cards to help unpaid TSA workers during the government shutdown in an effort to ‘ease the burden’ as Congress faces pressure to act.
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Airline industry leaders blasted lawmakers Sunday over the effects of the latest government shutdown, warning that federal aviation workers are being left unpaid as air travel demand surges.
In an open letter, airline CEOs said air travel has once again become “the political football” in a shutdown fight, urging Congress to immediately fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and permanently protect key aviation employees from future pay disruptions.
The DHS shutdown, which began Feb. 14, has now stretched on for a month.
The latest revelation comes as war in the Middle East drags on, heightening concerns over domestic sleeper cell threats and threatening to further disrupt global energy flows, driving up jet fuel prices and increasing costs for airlines.
DEMS VOTE TO KEEP DHS CLOSED DESPITE AIRPORT CHAOS, IRANIAN SLEEPER CELL THREAT
Airports in the U.S. are reporting longer-than-normal wait times in security lines, as Transportation Security Administration agents miss their first full paycheck. (Mark Felix/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
“This problem is solvable, and there are solutions on the table. Now it’s up to you, Congress, to move forward on bipartisan proposals that will get federal aviation workers—including TSA officers, U.S. Customs clearance officers at airports and air traffic controllers—paid during shutdowns,” wrote executives from American Airlines, United, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska Air Group, as well as airfreight titans Atlas Air Worldwide, UPS and FedEx.
The group called on lawmakers to pass several pending measures, including the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, the Aviation Funding Stability Act and the Keep America…
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