According to American media, the council rejected the bill with a vote of 53 in favor and 43 against, noting that the bill needs at least 60 votes to pass in the Senate. It added that most Democrats voted against the bill, claiming it grants President Donald Trump broad powers to withhold salaries from some workers.
The American government announced, starting last Friday, an attempt to ease the pressure on air traffic control, which is suffering a severe staff shortage due to the ongoing government shutdown. In a press conference, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the government will reduce the number of flights by 10% at 40 of the busiest airports in the country, noting a shortage of about 2,000 air traffic controllers and stating, “We need to ease the pressure by reducing the number of flights overseen by air traffic controllers,” according to American media.
The U.S. government shutdown began in October 2025, due to Congress’s failure to approve the new fiscal year’s budget, which starts in October each year. The government shutdown means the halt of major federal institutions that rely on direct funding, a crisis that has recurred several times in recent years, causing governmental paralysis except for essential services like health and mail.
President Donald Trump had previously indicated that he might exploit this situation to reduce the number of government employees, while the National Economic Council warned that the continued shutdown could cost the American economy about $15 billion per week.
