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Members of Congress from North Texas expressed concerns about the reductions of flights at Dallas Love Field, DFW International Airport, and airports across the country. The FAA slashed airline capacity at 40 "high traffic airports", which include both airports in North Texas, as a result of the ongoing government shutdown. More than 1,000 flights were canceled on Friday as the government began phasing in a 10% reduction in flights. The government may increase the reductions if the shutdown continues. Many air traffic controllers have not reported to work because they haven't gotten paid. The government shutdown is now in its 40th day, a record. While the House passed the clean continuing resolution in September, the Senate has not done so. Republicans need a number of Democrats to join them in approving the bill, but that hasn't happened. Senators have been negotiating and may work into the weekend. Both Democratic Congresswoman Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch and Republican Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne of Irving told CBS News Texas that the other party is responsible for the ongoing shutdown -- even as they said the flight reductions are very concerning. Johnson said, "That's very serious. Obviously, our country needs a robust transportation system, our business environment, the personal transportation needs of the American people, and business, and everything. I hope Republicans are listening to that. They are in charge. Speaker Johnson is the only one that can call the House back in session. I cannot do that as a Democrat. This is on Republicans to actually get this done and lead." Van Duyne said, "To sit there and think that we don't have the ability to be able to get where we need, folks to be able to fly into our district, people who are conducting business being able to fly where they need to go, that is a horrendous burden. Again, it didn't have to happen. I would urge, again, our Democrat colleagues, stop playing games, stop chest pumping, get back to work, and open up the government." On Friday, an official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture who oversees the SNAP food program told state agencies that the government is in the process of complying with a federal judge's order to provide full food benefits through November for about 42 million Americans. U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued the ruling Thursday after funding for SNAP expired. Earlier in the week, the administration said it would provide partial payments to recipients. At the same time, the Justice Department appealed the judge's order and has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to block it. After the appeals court declined to step-in immediately, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued an order late Friday pausing the requirement to distribute full SNAP payments until the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause. Jackson handles emergency matters from Massachusetts. Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming.
