WASHINGTON (TNND) \u2014 Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth demanded that all air traffic controllers and Federal Aviation Administration technicians get a $10,000 bonus, not just the ones who still worked during the government shutdown.<\/p>\n
“Excluding 96 percent of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Traffic Controller and Technician workforce from this bonus is unfair, divisive and disrespectful to the over 20,000 dedicated Federal employees who worked under extremely stressful conditions to ensure our Nation Airspace System (NAS) was safe during the 2025 shutdown,” Duckworth wrote in a letter first obtained by CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Trump administration announced last month that they would be giving bonuses to air traffic controllers who worked during the government shutdown and didn\u2019t miss a day of work<\/a>.<\/p>\n The government shutdown earlier this year due to Congress not being able to pass a budget to keep it funded.<\/p>\n \u201cThese patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown,\u201d Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. <\/p>\n \u201cDemocrats may not care about their financial well-being, but President Trump does. This award is an acknowledgement of their dedication and a heartfelt appreciation for going above and beyond in service to the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n