Flight disruptions will worsen significantly if the federal government doesn’t reopen, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday.

Duffy’s comments came the week after President Donald Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration ordered U.S. airlines to cut flights to maintain safety as the federal government shutdown dragged on and became the longest in U.S. history.

On Monday, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to reopen the government , but the bill still needs to pass the House. The FAA-mandated flight cuts reached 6% Tuesday and are scheduled to continue to increase.

Air traffic controllers have been working without pay and staffing issues around the country have led to flight delays throughout the shutdown, wh

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