Vice President JD Vance pushed hard at a White House roundtable to reopen the government, arguing that a few Democrats standing up would end the pain hitting travelers and frontline aviation workers. He put the onus on lawmakers to stop using paychecks and public safety as leverage, while industry leaders and unions warned that missed paychecks are already creating real-world consequences. The conversation mixed blunt political pressure with urgent operational details about air traffic control staffing and benefits interruptions.
Vance laid out a simple demand and a clear target for compromise, calling for a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to restore funding and services. “All we need to end the craziness, to pay the air traffic controllers, to pay the (Transportation Security Administration) agents, to pay the pilots, to make sure that food stamp benefits continue to go out to the American people who need them,” Vance said during a gaggle at the White House Thursday afternoon. He presented reopening as the immediate fix that would stop the cascading harms hitting families and travelers.
The White House roundtable included Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Airlines for America CEO and former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, Teamsters chief Sean O’Brien and other aviation and related industry leaders. Their message was unified: the shutdown is hurting operations and safety at a time when millions plan holiday travel. Officials described the scene at airports as strained and growing worse by the day as staffing problems deepen.
Staffing issues among air traffic controllers were a focus, especially after many controllers missed a full paycheck this week. That missed payroll has real ripple effects for scheduling, morale and retention in a high-skill job where experience matters for safety. Industry leaders warned that the hole in the workforce will take months to repair if the shutdown continues and more pay cycles are missed.
The shutdown began Oct. 1 when Congress failed to pass a funding measure, and the debate has centered on policy riders and demands in the spending talks. Republicans have pointed fingers at Democrats for trying to add healthcare provisions for illegal immigrants, arguing those demands have stalled a clean funding solution. Democrats counterclaim Republicans refuse to negotiate on healthcare and other priorities, and the standoff has left crucial federal functions in limbo.
On the Senate floor, only two Senate Democrats, Catherine Cortez Masto and John Fetterman, plus independent Angus King who caucuses with Democrats, have joined 52 Republicans to vote to reopen the government so far. Because the measure needs 60 votes to pass, the gap remains significant and the arithmetic demands bipartisan defections. Vance framed the math as a simple ask: five more Democrats willing to put workers and travelers ahead of political theater.
“I’ve been a little bit unfair, and I want to correct this, because when I say the Democrats have shut down the government, it’s actually the far left side of the Democratic Party,” Vance added. “Because to their great credit, three moderate Democrats joined 52 Senate Republicans to vote to reopen the government. We need five more reasonable Democrats to put the American people first and reopen the government.”
Vance emphasized that negotiations on policy can and should continue outside the emergency of a shutdown, insisting basic services must come first. “We are happy to talk about any policy issues,” Vance said. “We’re happy to talk about health care policy. We’re happy to talk about tax policy. We’re happy to talk about regulatory policy, but not at the point of a gun.”
He was blunt about tactics and unacceptable leverage. “You do not get to take the American people’s government hostage and then demand that we give you everything you want in order to pay our air traffic controllers,” he continued. “It’s a ridiculous set of demands. Let’s reopen the government and then let’s sit down and talk about how to compromise on policy for the American people.”
Duffy drove the point home with plain language aimed at the human toll: “Don’t hold air traffic controllers hostage.” He painted a stark payroll picture: “A lot of our people can go through the miss of one paycheck, and it’s hard for them, but a lot of them can get through it. None of them can get through two paychecks. And so, again, if Democrats don’t get their act together very quickly, you’re going to see huge problems,” Duffy warned, underscoring the urgency.
The shutdown has already produced noticeable delays in major hubs such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Newark as FAA staffing shortages bite. Airlines and airport partners are scrambling to adjust schedules and manage passenger disruption heading into peak travel periods. Industry leaders argued that a clean continuing resolution would stabilize operations and give lawmakers breathing room to negotiate long-term policy.
Unions and trade groups pressed for a stopgap funding vote, urging Congress to end the shutdown to protect jobs and safety across the aviation sector. “On behalf of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) and our 4,400 members in the Unites States representing the aircraft maintenance technicians at Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Horizon Air, Spirit Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines, we urge Congress to end the government shutdown by passing a clean Continuing Resolution,” AMFA National President Bret Oestreich said in a press release published Wednesday. Their plea reflected both worker hardship and the practical need to keep flights moving safely.
