WASHINGTON- Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration are increasingly concerned that the ongoing standoff with Democrats over reopening the government could extend into Thanksgiving week, one of the nation’s busiest travel periods.
Already, hundreds of flights have been canceled since the Federal Aviation Administration issued an unprecedented directive limiting flight operations at the nation’s largest airports, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Washington, DC.
Sean Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, told Fox News on Thursday that the administration was prepared to mitigate safety concerns if the shutdown continued through the holiday week, leaving air traffic controllers without compensation over multiple pay cycles. But “will you fly on time? Will your flight actually take place? That remains to be seen,” the secretary said.
While less than 3% of flights have been grounded, that figure could rise to 20% by the holiday week, he added.
“It’s really difficult – really difficult – to go through a full month without pay, missing two pay periods. So I think you’re going to have more significant disruptions in the airspace,” Duffy said. “And as Thanksgiving approaches, if we’re still in a shutdown position, it’s going to be tough out there. Really tough.”
Senate Republicans said they were prepared to work through the weekend, leading up to Veterans Day, to reach a deal with Democrats that could end the government shutdown, which is already the longest in history.
But congressional Democrats say their influence has only grown to extract more concessions from the Trump administration as the shutdown continues.
A strong showing in Tuesday’s elections across the country has boosted Democrats’ optimism that the party finally has some momentum, as it focuses its message on affordability and the growing cost of living crisis for the middle class.
Democrats withheld the votes needed to reopen the government because of Republicans’ refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. As a result, Americans who get their health care through the ACA marketplace have begun seeing dramatic increases in their premiums since open enrollment began on Nov. 1 — further fueling Democrats’ confidence that Republicans will face political backlash for their shutdown stance.
Today, Democratic demands have broadened, insisting that Republicans ensure that federal workers are paid for their time off or working without pay — and that those who have been laid off get their jobs back.
A bill introduced by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, called the Shutdown Fairness Act, would ensure that federal workers receive back pay if government funding fails. But Democrats opposed a vote on the measure that is unrelated to their other demands, on ACA tax breaks and the status of laid-off workers.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) proposed adopting a continuing resolution already passed by the House, followed by separate votes on three bills that would fund the government throughout the year. But his Democratic counterpart said Friday that he wanted to pair the vote on extending ACA tax credits with an expansion of government funding.
Democrats, joined by some Republicans, are also demanding protections built into any government spending bill that would shield federal programs from the Trump administration’s withholding of funds appropriated by Congress, a process known as impoundment.
President Trump, for his part, blamed the ongoing shutdown on Tuesday’s election results earlier this week, telling Republican lawmakers that polls show the continuing crisis is hurting their party. But he also continues to advocate for Thune to end the filibuster, a basic Senate rule requiring 60 votes for bills that fall outside the budget reconciliation process, and simply reopen the government with a party-line vote.
“If the filibuster ends, we will have the most productive three years in the history of our country,” Trump told reporters Friday at a White House event. “If the filibuster does not end, we will find ourselves in a difficult situation with the Democrats.”
So far, Thune has rejected this request. But the majority leader said Thursday that “the pain caused by this shutdown is only getting worse,” warning that 40 million Americans are at risk of food insecurity because of the expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding.
The Trump administration lost a lawsuit this week, arguing that it could suspend SNAP benefits, a program that was significantly cut as part of the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill” earlier this year.
“Won’t the far left be satisfied until federal workers and military families get their Thanksgiving dinner from a food bank? Because that’s where we’re headed,” Thune added.
