Republicans fret as shutdown threatens Thanksgiving travel chaos
WASHINGTON— Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration are increasingly concerned that the ongoing dispute with Democrats over reopening the government could drag into Thanksgiving week, one of the nation’s busiest travel periods.
Hundreds of flights have already 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 D.C.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News on Thursday that the administration is prepared to ease safety concerns if the shutdown continues into the holiday week, leaving air traffic controllers without compensation for multiple payroll cycles. However, the secretary said, “Will you be able to fly on time? Will your plane actually take off? That remains to be seen.”
He added that although less than 3 percent of flights are currently suspended, that number could rise to 20 percent during the holiday week.
“It’s really hard to get by without pay for a full month, missing two pay periods – really hard. So I think you’re going to have more significant disruptions in the airspace,” Duffy said. “And as we get closer to Thanksgiving, if we’re still locked down, it’s going to be tough out there. Really tough.”
Senate Republicans said they were willing to work through the weekend, leading up to Veterans Day, to reach a deal with Democrats that could end the longest shutdown in history.
But congressional Democrats believe their leverage increases to extract more concessions from the Trump administration as the shutdown continues.
A strong performance in races across the country in Tuesday’s election has fueled optimism among Democrats that the party is finally gaining some momentum; as the party focuses its messages on the affordability and rising cost of living crisis for the middle class.
Democrats withheld votes needed to reopen the government after Republicans rejected an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. As a result, Americans who get their health care through the ACA marketplace have begun seeing dramatic premium increases since open enrollment began on November 1; This further increased Democrats’ confidence that Republicans would face a political backlash for their shutdown stance.
Now Democrats’ demands have broadened, insisting that Republicans ensure that federal employees get back pay for time they were furloughed or worked without pay and that those who were fired get their jobs back.
A bill introduced by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, called the “Shutdown Fairness Act,” would allow federal employees to receive back pay during government defunding. But Democrats objected to the vote on the measure, which is unrelated to their other demands, the ACA tax cuts and the status of laid-off workers.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, has suggested passing a clean 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 he wants that. Add a vote on extending ACA tax credits expansion of government funding.
Democrats, joined by some Republicans, are demanding built-in protections in any government spending bill that would shield federal programs from the Trump administration withholding funds appropriated by Congress, a process known as sequestration.
President Trump, for his part, earlier this week blamed Tuesday’s election results on the ongoing shutdown and told Republican lawmakers that polls showed the ongoing crisis was hurting their party. But he also continues to advocate that Thune eliminate the filibuster, a key Senate rule that requires 60 votes for bills that fall outside the budget reconciliation process, and reopen the government with a vote that cuts across party lines.
“If the filibuster is ended, we’re going to have the most productive three years in the history of our country,” Trump told reporters at a White House event on Friday. “If the filibuster is not ended then we will be in contention with the Democrats.”
So far Thune has rejected the request. But the majority leader said Thursday that “the suffering caused by this shutdown has only gotten worse,” warning that 40 million Americans are at risk of food insecurity due to the expiration of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Trump administration this week lost a lawsuit in which it argued it could cut SNAP benefits, a program that was significantly defunded by a “big, beautiful bill” the president introduced earlier this year.
“Won’t the far left be satisfied until federal workers and military families get their Thanksgiving meals from a food bank? Because that’s where we’re going,” Thune added.
