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 brought about a surge in delays at airports throughout the nation. On Thursday, Duffy threatened to fireplace those that aren’t exhibiting as much as work, calling them “drawback kids.”
“I feel what’s occurring right here, 90% of the controllers, they present up, they arrive to work, however 10% of them are lashing out,” Duffy instructed 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 pissed off that Chuck Schumer is placing unlawful immigrants and their well being care over their paychecks, placing illegals over People. And so they’re like, you already know what? We’re going to name in sick immediately.”
The concept that Democrats need to give well being care to undocumented immigrants to reopen the federal government is unfaithful and has been debunked by numerous main media shops. Nevertheless it’s a typical line of assault from President Donald Trump and his allies like Duffy.
In actuality, Democrats need to restore funding for Medicaid that was lower by President Trump’s “Massive Stunning 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 shedding Medicaid protection, among the many tens of millions of different People who’re being harmed by the Republican invoice. In whole, about 17 million individuals are anticipated to lose their medical health insurance, in response to KFF.
However Duffy, similar to different members of the Trump regime, isn’t terribly involved in regards to the details. The Transportation Secretary is attempting to scare folks, together with air visitors controllers who’re fearful about whether or not they’ll be paid. Federal employees 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 prompt that furloughed employees don’t must be paid as soon as the federal government reopens, a direct violation of a regulation handed by Congress in 2019 throughout Trump’s first time period. Information has leaked that the Workplace of Administration and Price range has been discussing the transfer. Senate Majority Chief John Thune has insisted to ABC Information that it’s a “non-issue,” and that furloughed employees will finally be paid, however he ought to most likely take that up with Trump.
Trump mentioned on Tuesday that some employees “don’t should be taken care of,” throughout the federal government shutdown.
It’s simple to see why even probably the most obedient, Trump-supporting federal employee can be fearful about their paycheck on this setting. Individuals should be paid for the work that they do. However Duffy has thrown gasoline on the fireplace, 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 important scarcity.
“Whenever you come to work, you receives a commission. In case you don’t come to work, you don’t receives a commission. And in order that’s the way in which we’re going to do it,” Duffy mentioned Thursday.
“However pay attention, we’re additionally , if now we have 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 most effective and the brightest, the devoted controllers, and if now we have some on our workers 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 had been nonetheless exhibiting up for work with out pay.
“I wanna be clear, 90… 95% of them are wonderful, lovely, fantastic American patriots that present as much as work each day, though 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 via our skies immediately.”
