The shutdown is paralyzing the United States and disrupting air traffic : over 800 flights have been canceled and thousands have experienced severe delays . According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, interviewed by Fox News, today's disruptions—which affected approximately 4% of routes—could worsen as early as next week, with the risk of grounding up to 20% of flights. The American political crisis risks having repercussions in Europe and Italy , where civilian workers' salaries at US bases could be postponed or suspended. Meanwhile, an agreement to unblock the situation still appears far off: buoyed by their recent electoral victory, Democrats continue to reject Republican proposals, maintaining the stalemate that is shutting down the federal government.
"I'll give them a vote on everything they want if we reopen the government," said Senate conservative leader John Thune. His words, however, fell on deaf ears: liberals don't trust Republicans' promises, much less Donald Trump's, and they're demanding that the agreement to end the shutdown immediately include the extension of Obamacare benefits, the very thing at the center of the dispute, without postponing it to later votes on which there's no certainty.
As negotiations continue, disruptions for Americans are increasing. "Senators should be in Washington and resolve the shutdown," Duffy said, reiterating that reducing traffic is necessary to maintain safety, which is jeopardized by the lack of funding for air traffic controllers and airport staff. Domestic flights are the most affected by cancellations, while international flights have so far not experienced significant disruptions. But the long lines at security checkpoints , sometimes hours-long at some airports, are affecting all passengers and raising concerns about the Thanksgiving holiday, which falls on the last Thursday in November and is the busiest time of year. If the shutdown, already the longest in history, is not resolved by then, the risk is total chaos.
(Unioneonline)
