Today, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth called on Congress to reverse cuts to transportation and safety that will endanger jobs in Illinois and serve as a major inconvenience for travelers. Under sequestration, the majority of the Federal Aviation Administration's 47,000 employees will be furloughed and this will have a significant impact on O'Hare International Airport, the Terminal Radar Approach Control facility in Elgin and DuPage County Airport. Flights could be delayed by an average of 45 minutes and the wait times for travelers going through airport security and customs are expected to double.
"It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to keep our airports both safe and efficient," said Duckworth. "Businesses in the 8th Congressional District rely on facilities such as O'Hare International Airport to move their products and employees safely across the country. Decreased security and efficiency at out airports, combined with furloughs and layoffs, will have a serious impact on the economy in the 8th Congressional District. Congress needs to come to a bipartisan compromise that preserves our investments in transportation, while working to cut the deficit by stopping Medicare fraud, ending subsidies for oil and gas industries and closing tax loop holes for large corporations.