Trump urges Congress approve money for air traffic upgrades

U.S. President Donald Trump used the nationwide ground stop that disrupted airline travel this weekend to advocate for Congress to approve funding for a complete upgrade of the nation's air traffic control system. The Republican president had been largely silent on the issue since it began on Friday afternoon, but he took to social media on Sunday to urge lawmakers to provide the necessary funds.

Trump claimed his administration had already started the upgrade process but emphasized that it should not proceed "drips and drabs." He stressed that Congress must approve significant money for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expedite the construction and make the system the best in the world. The current air traffic control system, much of which is over 50 years old, is outdated and inefficient, Trump argued.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a Republican, had previously described the $12.5 billion in funding approved by Congress last year as merely a down payment on a broader overhaul of the aging system. Duffy, who was the administration's spokesperson on the ground stop, blamed the Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden's administration, for making the situation worse by worsening an "old and broken system."

Duffy's claims came after an L3Harris Technologies Inc. contractor replaced old copper wire with new fiber wire at an FAA facility, causing the system to overload. When the router was turned on, issues arose at another facility, leading to the ground stop. Duffy assured that by the end of the day and Monday, the system should be running at full capacity.