By BRENT MARTIN
President Trump plans to pay bonuses to air traffic controllers who had perfect attendance during the federal government shutdown and has threatened docking the pay of those who didn’t.
Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, the House Transportation Committee chair, says he understands the president’s frustration, but is hesitant to endorse punishing controllers who called in sick during the shutdown.
“The problem with something like that is that you really don’t know the circumstances, the folks, that may not be eligible for these bonuses,” Graves tells KFEQ. “They may have actually been sick.”
Graves says air traffic controllers have a high-stress job and not getting paid during the shutdown didn’t help.
“You know, we’ve got to be careful, because you just don’t know what the circumstances are,” Graves says.
Graves says a high stress job became even more stressful during the federal government shutdown as air traffic controllers had to come to work without getting a paycheck.
“You also can’t fault somebody who’s trying to make a car payment and a mortgage payment. You don’t know what the personal circumstance is and they had to go out and get another job for the time being to try to make ends meet,” Graves says. “I can see both sides of this to be quite honest with you. I can absolutely see both sides of this.”
Graves says you cannot dismiss the worries that pile up when the bills come due.
“Whether that’s a car payment or a mortgage payment or whatever your obligation may be and not getting paid for two pay cycles. That creates even more stress and more hardship and it just makes it worse,” according to Graves. “ I think it’s very hard for most folks to really understand the true gravity of what took place.”
The Trump administration has announced it will give a bonus to air traffic controllers who had perfect attendance during the shutdown. Those who came to work each day of the shutdown will receive $10,000 bonuses.
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