Delta and United Airlines are calling on Congress to reopen the federal government with a clean continuing resolution (CR), as the ongoing Democrat-led shutdown begins to strain the aviation industry and the broader economy.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told reporters Thursday that the current situation is unfair to federal workers and risky for the economy. He praised TSA, FAA, and air traffic control staff for their professionalism but warned that the shutdown is piling on pressure.
“They’ve minimized delays. Fewer than two percent of flights have been delayed so far because of air traffic control shortage. So they’ve done a great job, but it’s putting stress on people,” Kirby said. “It’s also putting stress on the economy.”
Kirby noted that while the early days of the shutdown had little economic impact, the effects are beginning to snowball — particularly in travel booking trends, which are often an early indicator of economic shifts.
“You see that happening in the economy. We put the whole economy at risk,” he said, urging lawmakers to pass a clean CR to end the gridlock and then return to negotiating more complex issues like healthcare.
“Let’s get a clean CR and get that negotiation done behind closed doors, without the pressure and without putting the American workers and the American economy at risk,” Kirby said.
? HOLY CRAP! The CEO of United Airlines is now GOING OFF on Chuck Schumer and the Democrats for shuttering the government and refusing to pay air traffic controllers
It’s getting worse for Chuck!
“Let’s get a CLEAN CR…without putting the American workers and economy at… pic.twitter.com/qjjGKjL0SB
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 30, 2025
Delta Airlines echoed that plea, issuing a statement asking Congress to “immediately pass a clean continuing resolution.” The airline warned that essential workers in aviation are already under pressure, and delayed paychecks are only making matters worse.
“Missed paychecks only increases the stress on these essential workers, many of whom are already working mandatory overtime to keep our skies safe and secure,” Delta said.
Despite these calls from the airline industry, Democrats have kept the government shut down while demanding $1.5 billion in new partisan spending and pushing a fight over healthcare — a topic that Republicans argue is completely unrelated to funding basic government operations.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) blasted Democrats for derailing negotiations with what he called a “red herring.”
“They decided that they would pick a fight on healthcare,” Johnson said. “Let me look right into the camera and tell you very clearly, Republicans are the ones concerned about healthcare.”
Johnson emphasized that Republicans have long had plans to address healthcare — but through dedicated legislative debates, not by holding government funding hostage.
“The clean continuing resolution would simply keep the lights on so that the members in the House and Senate can have those debates on healthcare,” he said. “We were always planning it. We have lots of ideas on the table on how to fix it.”
With the shutdown now entering its second month, pressure is mounting from both the private sector and the American public for Democrats to stop playing political games and pass the clean CR Republicans offered from day one.
The post Delta and United Urge Congress to End Shutdown with Clean CR, Blast Democrats for Manufactured Healthcare Fight appeared first on Real News Now.
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