[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 200 (Monday, December 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S8411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, let me pick up where the Republican leader 
left off on air traffic controllers.
  The biggest, busiest airport in the United States is O'Hare, when you 
count both passengers and cargo traffic. After the government reopened, 
I went to O'Hare, and I met with the air traffic controllers. I have 
known them for years, dating back to the first government shutdown 
during President Trump's first administration.
  There are roughly 10,500 air traffic controllers nationwide in 
America. We need 14,000. What does that mean if you are understaffed by 
that 40 percent figure?
  It means that those who are presently working work extraordinarily 
long hours. In fact, the normal routine at O'Hare with the air traffic 
controllers who manage that airport is to work 6 days out of 7, 10 
hours each day. So in one of the most stressful possible jobs in 
America, they are working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day. The stress is 
overwhelming.
  I told them that, with the closure of the government behind us, we 
have to do something, and I hope we agree on a bipartisan basis to do 
it quickly. We need not only more air traffic controllers, well-trained 
and ready to work--and that will take some time to find those people--
but we also need new technology. We waited too long. We have talked 
about this issue over and over again. It is time to do something.
  I want to salute those air traffic controllers. They have gone 
through a tough weekend, with Americans traveling for Thanksgiving, and 
I know that many of them have worked hard to make sure we have safe air 
travel.
  I want to echo the comments of the Republican leader. This is an 
issue that should not go away. It is an issue we should address.

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