WASHINGTON (TNND) — The government shutdown has reached its third week and there’s no resolution in sight as frustration mounts among federal workers. Essential employees, including air traffic controllers, continue to work without pay, facing staffing shortages and stress as delays affect airports nationwide.
“Air traffic controllers are not responsible for starting a shutdown, and we’re not responsible for ending shutdowns. Only our elected officials are, and our elected officials need to end the shutdown today,” Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said as he urged elected officials to reach a compromise.
House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted the shutdown could become the longest in history, surpassing 35 days, which could impact Thanksgiving travel. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., criticized Democrats for not signing on to the Republican plan to reopen the government.
“As TSA agents and air traffic controllers show up without pay, Democrats brag they won’t budge until planes fall out of the sky,” she said at a news conference Tuesday.
Both sides have continued to blame each other, with Republicans refusing to negotiate with Democrats on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies until the government reopens. President Trump has directed the Pentagon to reallocate funds to pay troops during the shutdown. He said his administration would continue to slash programs while the government is closed.
“We are closing up Democrat programs that we disagree with, and they’re never going to open again,” Trump said.
The Office of Management and Budget announced plans to continue firing federal workers. In a post on X, the OMB account wrote, “OMB is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats’ intransigence. Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait.” In response, Democrats held an event outside the OMB offices.
“Firing and threatening to fire federal employees is part of the Trump administration’s campaign to inflict trauma on our federal workforce, trauma is not my word. It is the word used by OMB director Russ Vougt about what he wanted to do. Shame, shame, shame on Russ Vought and Donald Trump,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. “It is also illegal and we will see them in court. It’s another lie just as they’re lying when they say federal employees who have been furloughed will not get full back pay when the government reopens. That is another lie they are telling. It is the law to make sure federal employees get back pay because they had nothing to do with the government shutdown, and they should not be the ones who are punished for the government shutdown.”
Democrats have vowed to challenge the federal worker firings in court, as more than 4,000 government employees across multiple agencies began receiving layoff notices last Friday.
