Schumer Brings LI Air Traffic Controller To State Of The Union

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer brought Long Island air traffic controller Ronan Byrne to the State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Byrne, a Bethpage resident, is an air traffic controller at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) in Westbury.

During the 35-day-long government shutdown, air traffic controllers were deemed essential personnel and were forced to work without pay.

“[Byrne] is a prime example of a dedicated and professional federal worker – doing a vital job for the American public – who was put through the ringer for no good reason," Schumer said. "This shutdown should never have happened in the first place, and it should absolutely not happen again. We need to craft a common-sense solution to border security and keep the federal government fully-funded and open.

“Even in the face of uncertainty over when they’d receive their next paychecks or how they’d pay their bills and feed their families, federal employees like Ronan Byrne dutifully showed up for work, each and every day," Schumer continued. "Air traffic controllers throughout our country deserve a stable income to perform their essential jobs – with the highest level of concentration and dedication – to ensure public safety for the millions of Americans who fly each day. I couldn’t be more proud to bring Ronan Byrne with me to the State of the Union, and I’ll keep fighting with everything I’ve got to ensure that he and the hundreds of thousands of federal employees and their families, like the Byrnes, all across the United States are never forced to bear the brunt of such a meaningless government shutdown again.”

Byrne lives in Bethpage with his wife, Stefanie, who is a full-time caregiver to their four sons: Finn, 5; Ethan, 3; and 16-month-old twins William and Henry.

“I want to thank Senator Schumer for the opportunity to attend the State of the Union," Byrne said. "I’m proud to be here urging Congress and the administration to keep the government fully funded and open on behalf of the employees at NY TRACON who have already endured the personal hardships of the previous shutdown.”

Photo courtesy Sen. Schumer's office