A bipartisan letter from House members in Long Island and New Jersey and New York senators called for the termination of a plan to reassign air traffic controllers from New York to the Philadelphia facility. The elected officials are calling the Federal Aviation Administration’s response dismissive as it pushes forward with the plan.

“The FAA’s refusal to reconsider their relocation plan is an abuse of power and simply, a disgrace,” Rep. Tom Suozzi  (D-Nassau) said. “The impact that these relocations will have on hardworking families cannot be understated. These air traffic controllers accepted their positions at N90 believing that they would be able to create stable, long-term homes for themselves and their families here in New York. We have been down this road before with the FAA and will keep fighting this shortsighted and thoughtless decision.”

Suozzi and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Nassau) sent a letter to the FAA that said “the FAA has clearly failed to consider the many personal aspects of such a decision, including its effects on controller’s families, relatives, homeownership, and community ties.” It calls for the plan to be rescinded to prevent forced relocations.

The letter was co-signed by New York Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Republican Reps. Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino and New Jersey Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez.

In a press release, Suozzi said the FAA responded by saying the plan will continue. He called their response one full of distractions and lacking substance.

“I am extremely disappointed with the FAA’s mistreatment of N90 employees, and I continue to demand that FAA leaders scrap their unjust forced transfer plans for workers stationed at N90,” D’Esposito said. “The callousness displayed by the FAA towards N90 employees who live and work in my congressional district demands further attention, and I remain resolute that Congress must explore all possible avenues to prevent these good union jobs from being outsourced to other states.”

D’Esposito, as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he would continue pushing to keep the air traffic employees on Long Island and fight against this plan.

Joe Segretto, president of NY TRACON, said in the press release that there are 18 air traffic controller families on Long Island. He said the FAA previously promised to NATCA and the members of the House and Senate that these Long Island employees would not be moved to Philadelphia.

“We continue to urge Congress to uphold the FAA’s promise and not uproot our air traffic controllers from their homes and families, exacerbating an already stressed system,” Segretto said in the press release.

Gillibrand said in the release that these employees should not be used by the FAA “as pawns.”