Democrat Says Shutdown ‘A Real Problem’ Minutes After Voting To Keep Government Closed

Senate Democrats are largely toeing their party line in the second week of the government shutdown, holding firm on extending Obamacare subsidies despite some legislators acknowledging the detrimental effects of a shutdown for their constituents.

Democratic Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper told the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday that the shutdown became untenable “a week ago” — in other words, that a shutdown was always untenable. Hicklooper voted “no” minutes earlier on the GOP’s clean continuing resolution that would reopen the government.

Hickenlooper described flight cancellations and air traffic controller staffing issues during the shutdown as “a real problem,” particularly for a state that houses the sixth busiest airport in the world. He also described the impact of the shutdown on Colorado’s autumn tourism rush.

“They’ve done an admirable job of keeping the open, but dramatically limited access, you know, visitors’ conveniences and things like that,” Hickenlooper told the DCNF. “It’s not the same experience it would be otherwise. This is peak leaf viewing. So all these small, little towns, you know, 10% of their annual sales happen in the next two weeks. So that’s a real issue.”

The Senator also noted his concern for the Denver Federal Center, a major regional hub for federal government operations in the western U.S. that serves as a multi-agency federal campus providing office space, laboratories, warehouses, and logistical support for more than two dozen federal agencies.