Copyright newsweek
Vice President JD Vance took a swipe at Democrats amid the ongoing federal government shutdown on Thursday, saying in part that “while the administration has shielded the American people from the worst of the consequences, all of this is coming, and soon.” Why It Matters The federal government shutdown is having escalating and widespread effects on critical U.S. services, with direct impacts on the airline industry, federal workers, and essential operations nationwide. Vice President JD Vance has warned that additional, potentially severe consequences—such as major travel disruptions—are imminent if lawmakers fail to resolve the budget standoff. Airlines, unions, and officials continue to express concern as service reductions and furloughs spread across core functions of government. As partisan gridlock persists, the nation faces a growing risk to public safety and economic stability. What To Know On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced air traffic will be cut by 10 percent at 40 major U.S. airports starting Friday, November 7, due to deepening staffing shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown. The shutdown continues to furlough thousands of government workers and has led to layoffs at several federal agencies. Essential personnel, such as air traffic controllers and federal law enforcement, must work without pay. However, military service members will continue to receive pay after emergency action by the Department of Defense (DOD). Taking to X, Vance said, “What the Democrats are doing on the government shutdown is genuinely unprecedented, and while the administration has shielded the American people from the worst of the consequences, all of this is coming, and soon: An aviation emergency that will lead to significant travel delays for all Americans.” Vance continued with his list, “Food stamp and other assistance programs running out for needy Americans. Great strains on our military and national security. The shutdown has now passed from farce into tragedy, and the consequences of this national emergency fall on every senator and congressman who refuses to open the government.” Vice President JD Vance can be seen speaking to the press following a tour of the multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center at the Wilshire Federal Building on June 20, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by ) What People Are Saying Trump on Truth Social on Wednesday: “The Radical Left Democrats are causing millions of Americans who depend on food stamps to go without benefits, they’re forcing federal workers to go without paychecks, and they’re stranding thousands of travelers at airports!” D. Stephen Voss, political science professor at the University of Kentucky, to Newsweek via email on Thursday: “Last news cycle, the parties were highlighting food stamps and trying to blame each other for the funding lapse. This news cycle, it’s about transportation. But the basic question that the American public needs to answer hasn’t changed: Are the Democrats wrong for letting the government shut down in their attempt to reverse the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, or are the Republicans wrong for refusing to undo their work now that they need Democratic votes to end the shutdown?” Voss continued: “What we ought to be watching is whether the Administration is trying to build up the sense of crisis to a fever pitch, as a prelude to Republicans ending the Senate filibuster. The public tends to dislike the filibuster rule, because it prevents majorities from getting their way quickly, but it’s one of the only remaining features of the American government that requires the parties to cooperate, which is something the public also claims to want. If Senate rules change so that the majority party can start passing legislation without compromise, that will have a lot more impact on American public policy than anything being debated right now.” Columbia University professor Robert Y. Shapiro to Newsweek via email on Thursday: “I think Americans have made sense of the finger pointing — there is partisan conflict, gridlock, both sides have dug in. They are not so surprised. I can see this being settled by the Republicans realizing they need to avoid health care being a major election issue, with them on the wrong according to polling data, so they could in effect concede on that, just as Democrats should be glad the southern border is no longer an election issue. “The Republicans are now up against the Democrats in their face, so to speak, on affordability and economic hardship, with the Democrats having momentum given what just happened on election day, and Trump suggesting that the shutdown is hurting Republicans,” Shapiro concluded. What Happens Next The timeline for restoring normal federal operations and flight schedules dep...
