WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday said air traffic controllers who do not show up to work during the government shutdown will not get paid and could be fired from their jobs.

Duffy in an interview on Fox Business' Varney & Co. said he’s seen an uptick in air traffic controllers calling in sick to work since the government shutdown Oct. 1 and attributed flight disruptions across the country to the staffing issues.

“Listen, we need more controllers, but we need the best and the brightest of dedicated controllers,” Duffy said. “If we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re gonna let them go. I can’t have people not showing up for work.”

The comments from Duffy, a former Wisconsin congressman, came on the ninth day of a government sh

See Full Page