The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will vote on a bill to ensure air traffic controllers and other essential aviation workers are paid during federal government shutdowns to prevent operational disruptions. The panel will also consider a separate bill that would require the FAA to approve supersonic passenger service by April 2027. Airlines have backed the pay measure after a 43-day shutdown and related controller absences contributed to widespread cancellations, while the FAA defended November operational cuts as necessary for safety.
House Panel To Vote On Bill Guaranteeing Pay For Air Traffic Controllers During Shutdowns; FAA Supersonic Rule Also Up For Vote
An aircraft controller works in the tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as the Trump administration warns of impending cuts to commercial airline operations more than a month into the continuing U.S. government shutdown in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.. November 7, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will vote this week on legislation designed to avoid aviation disruptions during federal government shutdowns by guaranteeing pay for air traffic controllers and other essential aviation staff.
The committee also plans to consider separate legislation that would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to clear supersonic passenger service by April 2027 — a response to a June directive from President Donald Trump to lift a long-standing ban on supersonic flights over land.
Why The Pay Measure Was Proposed
Major airlines have urged Congress to act after the recent 43-day U.S. government shutdown and a subsequent spike in air traffic controller absences were linked to widespread disruptions. Airlines say those events disrupted roughly 6 million passengers and about 50,000 flights.
The FAA, citing safety concerns, ordered unprecedented flight reductions on November 7 at 40 major U.S. airports. Those measures led to about 7,100 cancellations and affected an estimated 2.3 million passengers. Lawmakers have pressed the FAA for more detailed data explaining the decision.
FAA Response And Oversight
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford defended the November operational cuts in a letter to Congress, saying agency data "began to show a potential safety risk at certain high-impact airports" and that he was "confident that decreasing operations during an uncertain and stressful time was the right decision."
The FAA has also sent letters of investigation to several major carriers that appear not to have complied with required operational reductions during the November event.
Supersonic Planes And Other Measures
The supersonic proposal stems from a 1973 ban on supersonic flights over land, put in place after sonic booms caused property damage and hearing problems. Supporters of new supersonic designs argue they could dramatically cut long-haul flight times — for example, reducing New York–Los Angeles travel to under four hours — while environmental groups warn that supersonic jets typically consume more fuel per passenger than subsonic aircraft.
The committee is also expected to vote on a separate measure to relocate the FBI headquarters to a nearby Washington building at a cost of more than $1 billion. The move follows legal pushback: last month the state of Maryland sued the Trump administration after officials abandoned a Biden-era plan to build a new FBI headquarters outside Washington.
Reporting: David Shepardson in Washington. Editing: David Gregorio.
