Ground stop at JFK due to staffing

>Is this enshrined in a statute somewhere? Feels like adding air traffic controllers to that list should be a no-brainer (and broadly politically popular).

They are considered essential. That means they have to work, but not be paid.

https://time.com/7329683/government-shutdown-flight-delays-c...

But it seems like certain jobs are funded for the duration anyway (infamously, members of Congress are one). Who would argue that air traffic controllers shouldn’t be on that rarefied list?

IIRC the term of interest is "permanent appropriation".

> But it seems like certain jobs are funded for the duration anyway (infamously, members of Congress are one).

I think thats due to the 27th Amendment [1]

> No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

can't change (or stop) congressional pay until an election. guess it's a double-edged sword they can't give themselves in immediate pay raise, which I think was the point of ratification in 1992, but also can't cut their pay for failing to pass a budget.

[1] https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-27/

But they’re not the only ones - apparently federal judges and some high-level political appointees are authorized to be paid during the shutdown. There’s some other mechanism for not rug-pulling federal paychecks.

Apparently it can also depend how funds were sent and if they have other sources.

So what happens if they don't show up? Are they at risk of jail or at risk of being fired and replaced by the new recruit, Michael McDoesnt-Exist (https://www.aviationtoday.com/2025/07/25/americas-atc-meltdo...)?

I could imagine some sort of loss of seniority or pay level, even if they’d hire them right back because we already have an ATC shortage.

Well, that's certainly a negotiation standpoint the government can start from.

... But they're hurting for recruits in a big way so even at their size their negotiating position isn't as strong as they might want.

Today in "blatant constitutional violations specified by law" ...

Nothing happens to them. They can't be jailed for taking their PTO or sick leave, they are free to quit and there are not enough recruits in the pipeline to backfill them en masse. They could be put on a PIP, or fired for not showing up, or some other retaliatory and childish Trump action, but what is the government realistically going to do to fix this? Fire them for poor performance and make sure that a short term shortage becomes permanent? How do you even recruit backfills when the entire world knows you fucked over the previous crew and promise to do it to the next batch too?

>How do you even recruit backfills when the entire world knows you fucked over the previous crew and promise to do it to the next batch too?

What's more, even if you could, who is going to take a job for which they will not be paid as long as the shutdown continues?

On the other hand, if privatizing ATC is one of your goals, this is probably an effective way to force the issue.

(Current Airline Pilot here, definitely NOT in favor of privatizing ATC, but historically breaking things on purpose is the usual path politicians take to privatize)

Members of Congress must receive their pay, or the wealthy members could coordinate a shutdown that puts a significant financial pressure on the ones that rely on the congressional income, forcing them to cave to their demands.