Government Shutdown Threatens Holiday Air Travel as Radicals Push Healthcare for Illegal Aliens

Washington, D.C.—Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement from Cooper Smith, Director of Homeland Security and Immigration, regarding the ongoing government shutdown and its mounting impact on U.S. air travel:

“The ongoing government shutdown is wreaking havoc on American skies, stranding families and threatening holiday travel for millions of people. Staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have reached crisis levels, with nearly half of the nation’s busiest airports experiencing delays, ground stops, or reduced flight capacity.

Across the country, nearly 6,000 flights were delayed this week, with 84% attributed to staff shortages as over 13,000 unpaid air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers continue working without pay. In Houston, passengers faced hours-long security lines this weekend, with some waiting more than four hours and missing their flights entirely. Houston Airport officials confirmed the shutdown is disrupting TSA staffing and operations nationwide, forcing local airports to issue public advisories warning of multi-hour waits ‘until further notice.’ Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that delays ‘are going to get worse’ if the shutdown continues.

While hardworking Americans are stuck in terminals and missing flights, radicals in Congress are holding the government hostage to advance taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens. It’s time to end this chaos. Congress must reopen the government immediately, restore full operations at FAA and TSA, and put the American people first. Air travel should not be a casualty of Washington’s dysfunction.”