Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joked on Friday that Senate Democrats who continue to block efforts to reopen the federal government should be added to a "no-fly list."
He said that the flight disruptions nationwide are from the Democrat-driven government shutdown, Breitbart reported.
Speaking at a policy event hosted by Breitbart News in Washington, D.C., Duffy said senators should remain in the Capitol rather than return home.
At the same time, federal workers and travelers face mounting disruptions.
Duffy told Breitbart Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle that the blame is squarely on the Democrats.
"That people would go home during a shutdown when the American people are suffering is just flat-out wrong," Duffy said.
"Everyone should be here. Everyone should be working."
Duffy, who represented Wisconsin in Congress before joining President Donald Trump's Cabinet, drew on his own experience during the 2018-19 shutdown.
"We stayed here for a month. I gained 10 pounds, I think, because I ate pizza and the junkiest food," he said.
"But you sit here every weekend, every day, while the government is shut down ... and your family's upset, your kids are annoyed."
The current standoff centers on a continuing resolution passed by the House that Senate Democrats have refused to advance, arguing that it does not include sufficient funding for domestic priorities.
Duffy criticized that approach as unfair to Americans dealing with the fallout of the shutdown.
He pointed to airport staffing shortages that have delayed and canceled flights across the country.
"There's people going to funerals. There's people who are trying to get home that can't get home," Duffy said.
"Why are senators going home? Keep them here — and especially the senators who voted 'no' to open the government up."
Boyle then quipped, "Maybe we could put the senators who keep voting to shut the government down on the no-fly list."
"That would be great," Duffy replied with a laugh. "Well played, yes."
The lighthearted exchange drew laughter from the audience but underscored growing frustration inside the administration as the shutdown's economic and logistical effects ripple outward.
Earlier in the week, Duffy warned of "mass chaos" if the impasse is not resolved soon.
Airlines reported reduced operations Friday at 40 major airports, including hubs in Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas, as air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration personnel work with limited staffing.
The administration and congressional Republicans have accused Democrats of using the shutdown as leverage to block Trump's policy agenda, while Democrats blame the White House for refusing to negotiate on policy issues not typically considered in a clean continuing resolution, such as the extension of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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