Sean Duffy Threatens to Fireplace Air Visitors Controllers as 10% Name Out Sick Throughout Shutdown

Sean Duffy, the previous actuality TV host and present Secretary of Transportation, is upset with air visitors controllers who’re calling out sick throughout the federal government shutdown, which has induced a surge in delays at airports across the country. On Thursday, Duffy threatened to fireplace those that aren’t displaying as much as work, calling them “downside kids.”

“I believe what’s taking place right here, 90% of the controllers, they present up, they arrive to work, however 10% of them are lashing out,” Duffy informed Fox Enterprise host Stuart Varney.

Duffy then pivoted into partisan speaking factors about Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority chief within the U.S. Senate, who has been asking for Republicans to barter on well being care to safe Democratic votes to reopen the federal government, which was shut down on Oct. 1.

“They’re lashing out at Chuck Schumer,” Duffy bizarrely insisted of the air visitors controllers. “They’re annoyed that Chuck Schumer is placing unlawful immigrants and their well being care over their paychecks, placing illegals over People. They usually’re like, you recognize what? We’re going to name in sick right this moment.”

The concept that Democrats wish to give well being care to undocumented immigrants to reopen the federal government is unfaithful and has been debunked by numerous main media shops. However it’s a typical line of assault from President Donald Trump and his allies like Duffy.

In actuality, Democrats wish to restore funding for Medicaid that was reduce by President Trump’s “Huge Lovely Invoice” in July. The false declare that this has something to do with unlawful immigration is tied to the 1.4 million authorized immigrants who’re dropping Medicaid protection, among the many tens of millions of different People who’re being harmed by the Republican invoice. In whole, about 17 million persons are anticipated to lose their medical insurance, in response to KFF.

However Duffy, similar to different members of the Trump regime, isn’t terribly involved concerning the info. The Transportation Secretary is making an attempt to scare individuals, together with air visitors controllers who’re frightened about whether or not they’ll be paid. Federal staff are scheduled to be paid early subsequent week, however gained’t be getting checks if the federal government remains to be shut down.

To complicate issues even additional, President Trump has recommended that furloughed staff don’t have to be paid as soon as the federal government reopens, a direct violation of a legislation handed by Congress in 2019 throughout Trump’s first time period. Information has leaked that the Workplace of Administration and Finances has been discussing the transfer. Senate Majority Chief John Thune has insisted to ABC News that it’s a “non-issue,” and that furloughed staff will finally be paid, however he ought to in all probability take that up with Trump.

Trump mentioned on Tuesday that some staff “don’t need to be taken care of,” throughout the federal government shutdown.

It’s simple to see why even essentially the most obedient, Trump-supporting federal employee can be frightened about their paycheck on this setting. Folks need to be paid for the work that they do. However Duffy has thrown gasoline on the hearth, insisting that any air visitors controllers who name out sick may very well be fired, one thing that actually gained’t assist when there’s already a vital scarcity.

“Once you come to work, you receives a commission. If you happen to don’t come to work, you don’t receives a commission. And in order that’s the best way we’re going to do it,” Duffy mentioned Thursday.

“However pay attention, we’re additionally taking a look at, if we’ve got a continuing small subset of controllers that that don’t present as much as work,” mentioned Duffy, “they usually’re the issue kids, pay attention, we’d like extra controllers, however we’d like the perfect and the brightest, the devoted controllers, and if we’ve got some on our employees that aren’t devoted, like we’d like, we’re gonna let ’em go.”

Duffy, who has beforehand mentioned that he doesn’t need air visitors controllers to moonlight as Uber drivers, went on to reward those that have been nonetheless displaying up for work with out pay.

“I wanna be clear, 90… 95% of them are wonderful, stunning, great American patriots that present as much as work each day, regardless that they might not get that paycheck on time, they present up,” mentioned Duffy. “It’s a small fraction of people that don’t come to work that may create this large disruption. And that’s what you’re seeing rippling by way of our skies right this moment.”