As if flying during the shutdown weren’t nerve-wracking enough, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is now threatening to punish air traffic controllers who call in sick because they’re not getting paid—thanks to Republicans.

During a Thursday interview on Fox Business, Duffy singled out air traffic controllers who call out sick as “problem children” and warned that those who do so could lose their jobs.

“If we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re going to let them go,” Duffy said when asked about back pay for controllers, who are required to work without pay during the shutdown. “Again, I can’t have people not showing up for work.”

Duffy did offer a sliver of reassurance for travelers, saying it’s “a small fraction of people who don’t come to work.” But he a

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