Democrats’ Shutdown Becomes Everyone’s Problem With Flight Cancellations Right Before Thanksgiving

Americans will feel the impacts of the government shutdown almost all Democratic Senators have consistently voted to prolong — as flight cancellations, reductions and delays seek to impact travel plans as the holiday season looms.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency order to 40 airports across the country, calling them to reduce their flight schedules by 4% starting Friday, while gradually increasing the restrictions until flights are trimmed by 10%. The depleted flight schedules, pushed in part by fatigued air traffic controllers who have been working without pay, will spread the shutdown’s impacts onto traveling Americans just weeks before Thanksgiving.

During his floor speech on Friday, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso recalled Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer’s remarks from October that “every day gets better for us” as the shutdown stretches on, asking during his speech, “I’m wondering who ‘us’ is.”

“Certainly not the American people. Certainly not the people whose flights were grounded today all across the country,” Barrasso said. “To keep our airlines and skies safe, the FAA directed airlines to reduce the number of flights. It’s the right thing to do. This has impacted airports all across the country. That’s the impact of what the Democrats are doing by keeping this government shut.”

Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has thus far voted to keep the government shut down, shared the sentiment that slicing flight schedules was the right decision, telling reporters Friday morning that “safety matters.”

“I’m glad that they are taking whatever steps they think are appropriate for safety, but I would prefer that the Republicans let us get this government open again and pay all of our federal workers.”

The Senate has voted 14 times in 38 days on a GOP-backed funding measure to reopen the government — and only three members of the Democratic Caucus have so far crossed the aisle to vote for it. Just five more senators voting in favor of the measure are needed to reach the 60-vote threshold to pass it and end the shutdown.