The United States government shutdown, which has lasted an unprecedented 40 days, appears to be nearing its conclusion after a political development on Capitol Hill.
In a surprising turn of events on Sunday, eight Senate Democrats broke ranks with their party leadership, Al Jazeera reports. The Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a stopgap funding package aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in American history.
This procedural vote passed 60–40, advancing a bipartisan deal to keep the government open until January 30. The agreement funds key sectors, including food aid and the legislative branch, for the next fiscal year. The shutdown’s impact has reached critical levels, hitting the transportation industry hardest. Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights on Sunday, the highest single-day total since the shutdown began, and delayed over 7,000 more, according to FlightAware.
Transportation System Struggles Under Government Shutdown Pressure
The timing of this potential breakthrough is crucial for millions of Americans planning to travel during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on CNN’s State of the Union that without government reopening, air travel before the Thanksgiving holiday would be “reduced to a trickle.”
The root cause of the travel disruption stems from staffing challenges among essential personnel required to work without pay during the shutdown. The New York Times reports that at one point, 18 out of 22 controllers in Atlanta did not show up to work, according to Duffy.
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, one of the Democrats who broke ranks to support the funding measure, highlighted this issue, noting that federal workers, including air traffic controllers, had continued working in understaffed conditions throughout the 40-day crisis.
What The Funding Deal Means For Travelers
If the Senate passes the amended bill as expected, the package must still be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by President Donald Trump, a process that could take several days. Transportation analysts caution that even with a resolution in sight, the recovery won’t be immediate.
Per The New York Times, Fitch Ratings, a credit rating agency, stated in a research note that “The airlines’ challenges will worsen as the Thanksgiving holiday period approaches.” The agency also notes that the busy travel season will “leave little room for airlines to reaccommodate displaced passengers, amplifying revenue loss and customer service costs.”
