In what President Obama calls "another Washington-inflicted wound on America," the Senate recessed without funding the Federal Aviation Administration, leaving 4000 employees on an unpaid leave. The FAA maintains that the furlough of these "essential" employees will not compromise safety, as air traffic controllers remain on the job. These workers have been asked to work without pay, and to put work expenses on personal credit cards. This issue is a result of the most recent extensions on FAA funding authority expiring over a week ago. The Senate refused to pass the most recently drafted extension because of a Republican-added rider eliminating subsidies from rural airports.
See "Senate fails to fund FAA, leaving 4,000 on unpaid furlough", Christine Mai-Duc, Chicago Tribune, August 2, 2011