Vice President Warns of Holiday Travel Issues Due to Government Shutdown

Vice President JD Vance has raised concerns that if the government shutdown persists, this year’s holiday air travel could turn into a “disaster.”

During a roundtable discussion at the White House, attended by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, and various aviation industry leaders, Vance expressed deep worries about potential delays and the stress on those managing the aviation sector.

“It could be a disaster,” he remarked to reporters after the meeting.

The ongoing shutdown has left air traffic controllers and TSA officers working without pay, leading to critical understaffing at airports.

“At that point, you’re talking about people having missed three paychecks. They’ve missed four paychecks. How many of them are not going to show up for work?” Vance noted. “When you consider the already long TSA lines, what if half the staff don’t come in? Not because they don’t want to be there, but because they need to find a different job to support their families.”

He further added, “What if the security lines stretch from one hour to four hours? And what if pilots can’t make it to work because they’re preoccupied with paying bills? That can cause significant delays. We want the aviation industry to function, but it won’t if the Democrats don’t reopen the government.”

Secretary Duffy pointed out that November could prove even more challenging for airports due to increased travel traffic.

He also advised passengers with flight delays to voice their complaints to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is primarily opposing the House’s funding bill aimed at ending the shutdown.

As of Friday, the shutdown has entered its 31st day, making it a month-long situation. For context, the longest shutdown recorded lasted 35 days in 2019. Republicans are encouraging Democrats to vote for the budget bill that would have sustained government funding for November and met the necessary 60-vote filibuster. Recently, President Trump urged Republican senators to consider ending the filibuster to hopefully resolve the shutdown.