Congressional Democrats and Republicans failed to come to agreement by yesterday’s budget deadline to keep the U.S. government funded. A shutdown began at 12:01 am Eastern Time on Wednesday as both sides voted down the other’s proposals to extend funding temporarily. The Republican proposal would have extended funding through Nov. 21, but fell in a 55-to-45 vote, with two Democrats joining in favor of the plan. The Democrats’ plan, which would have extended funding through the end of October and included $1 trillion in healthcare spending that is the major point of contention for the budget row, fell to a 47-to-53 vote. Budget measures require a 60-vote majority.
Government shutdowns can have a destabilizing impact on the travel industry since federal employees comprise tens of thousands of critical workers at airports, including more than 50,000 U.S. Transportation Security Administration officers and 14,000 air traffic controllers. These employees will work without getting paid for as long as the government stays closed. They will be due back wages when the government re-opens, but the longer a shutdown continues, the more likely it is that such workers will need to find employment elsewhere.
