S. 3031Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)Introduced

Keep America Flying Act of 2026

Sponsored by Ted CruzSen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Introduced October 22, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM UTC

The Keep America Flying Act of 2026 makes sure that essential aviation workers—air‑traffic controllers at the FAA and security screeners at the TSA—continue to receive their regular pay, benefits, and contractor support if the federal government shuts down. It provides temporary funding for fiscal year 2026, covering the period from October 1 2025 until normal appropriations are enacted or September 30 2026, whichever occurs first. The bill affects FAA and TSA employees and the contractors that assist them.

Key Provisions

  • Provides money for FY 2026 to pay the normal salaries, benefits and allowances to air‑traffic controllers and other essential FAA staff needed to keep the national airspace safe during a government shutdown.
  • Provides the same normal pay and benefits to TSA employees who perform passenger screening and other aviation‑security duties during a shutdown.
  • Allows payments to contractors that the FAA or TSA use to support the personnel described above.
  • Charges any money spent under this authority to the regular appropriations once those appropriations are finally enacted.
  • The funding lasts until a regular or continuing appropriation covering these costs is passed, or until September 30 2026, whichever happens first.
  • The law is treated as if it took effect on September 30 2025.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
SenateCalendars Latest Action

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 205.

October 22, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

October 22, 2025

SenateCalendars

Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. (Legislative Day October 21, 2025).

October 22, 2025

SenateCalendars

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 205.

October 22, 2025

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 3031 on the floor

1 Republican
John Thune
Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Oct 22, 2025

I understand that there are three bills at the desk due for a second reading, en bloc. Mr. President, in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to…

John Thune
Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Oct 21, 2025

Mr. President, I understand that there are three bills at the desk and I ask for their first reading en bloc. Mr. President, I now ask for a second reading, and I object to my own request, all en…

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Placed on Calendar SenateIssued October 22, 2025

II

Calendar No. 205

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 3031

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 22 (legislative day, October 21), 2025

Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

October 22, 2025

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

A BILL

Making continuing appropriations for essential Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration pay and operations in the event of a Federal Government shutdown, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Keep America Flying Act of 2026.

2.

Continuing appropriations for air traffic controllers and transportation security personnel

(a)

In general

There are hereby appropriated for fiscal year 2026, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the period beginning October 1, 2025, during which interim or full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are not in effect—

(1)

such sums as are necessary to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments otherwise payable on a regular basis to air traffic controllers and other essential operational personnel of the Federal Aviation Administration whose services are required for the safe and orderly operation of the national airspace system;

(2)

such sums as are necessary to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments otherwise payable on a regular basis to employees of the Transportation Security Administration engaged in screening operations, aviation security duties, or related mission-support functions necessary to carry out security screening under chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code;

(3)

such sums as are necessary to provide for payments to contractors of the Federal Aviation Administration whom the Secretary of Transportation determines are providing support to the personnel described in paragraph (1); and

(4)

such sums as are necessary to provide for payments to contractors of the Transportation Security Administration whom the Administrator or Acting Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration determines are providing support to the personnel described in paragraph (2).

(b)

Charge to future appropriations

Expenditures made pursuant to subsection (a) shall be charged to the applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization whenever an Act in which such applicable appropriation, fund, or authorization is included is enacted into law.

3.

Termination

Appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this Act shall be available until whichever of the following first occurs:

(1)

The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available in section 2.

(2)

The enactment into law of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose.

(3)

September 30, 2026.

4.

Retroactive effective date

This Act shall take effect as if enacted on September 30, 2025.

October 22, 2025

Read the second time and placed on the calendar