Congress remains deadlocked on ending shutdown as airlines forced to cancel flights

Amna Nawaz:

U.S. airlines began cutting flights at major airports today, as the longest government shutdown in U.S. history continues. More than 1,000 flights at 40 airports were canceled by early evening, and the Trump administration battled in court over an order to start paying food aid immediately.

Lisa Desjardins reports all of this comes as Congress and the president remain deadlocked over a way out.

Lisa Desjardins:

Today, a government-ordered nationwide scale-back of flights and a new question mark for travelers.

Angele, Air Traveler, Reagan National Airport:

Nobody want to travel and then you end up getting stuck, so that's definitely a concern for a lot of us, for sure.

Lisa Desjardins:

As the government shutdown enters its 38th day.

Michael Timinston, Air Traveler, Reagan National Airport:

I think the shutdown is terrible. And it's affected my travel, in that I woke up this morning not knowing whether or not I could take my flight.

Lisa Desjardins:

Meanwhile, over a million federal workers have been without pay for at least a month, many forced to stay on the job, and many air traffic controllers and TSA workers are calling out sick.

TSA agent and mother of two Maggy Sabatino is watching her pantry closely, staying home for a specific reason.

Maggy Sabatino, TSA Agent:

When I call out, I tell them the truth. Can't afford childcare. This is enough to hold over for maybe another week.

Lisa Desjardins:

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed reporters at Ronald Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., today, blaming the Senate and most of all Democrats for not acting with enough urgency.

Sean Duffy, U.S. Transportation Secretary:

They should be here every day, every weekend, every week trying to find a deal, so we can open the government back up.

Lisa Desjardins:

At an event later in the day, Duffy warned flight reductions could go as high as 20 percent if the government shutdown drags on through the holiday season.

Senate Democrats said the cancellations were political, a on the Senate floor made an offer for ending the shutdown centered around a one-year extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies. But Republicans want more debate about that.

They're frustrated at Democrats' tactics and seem unlikely to accept, this as Senate majority leader John Thune told reporters he expects the Senate to stay at least part of this weekend. Meanwhile, it's been seven days since SNAP, the largest food assistance program in the country, was frozen in the shutdown.

Ahndrea Blue, President, Making a Difference Foundation: We are in a food crisis.

Lisa Desjardins:

Food banks across the country say they're struggling as courts wrestle over the program. Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must pay full SNAP benefits for the month immediately.

Judge John McConnell found that the administration actually had political reasons for the pause and wrote: "Not making payments for even another day is simply unacceptable."

The Trump administration immediately appealed that. Yesterday, Vice President J.D. Vance called that ruling absurd and seemed to question the court's power.

J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States: We can't have a federal court telling the president how he has to triage the situation. We're not going to do it under the orders of a federal judge. We're going to do it according to what we think we have to do to comply with the law, of course.

Lisa Desjardins:

Senate Democrats railed at the Trump administration for that.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI):

It's not a game. I don't see this as leverage. Now, a president who refuses to release SNAP funds to feed people, now, that is what is irresponsible and irreprehensible leverage.

Lisa Desjardins:

Concern keeps rising at food banks.

Marcy Fleming, Board Member, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest: If we're the only food source for people, I just don't know how these kids and elderly and disabled, I don't know what they can do.

Lisa Desjardins:

In Ohio, this mother of four says she's been skipping meals to help feed her children.

Christine Lener, SNAP Recipient:

For the last three days, I have not eaten anything to make sure they were fed. I would rather starve rather see them go hungry.

Lisa Desjardins:

The length of the shutdown grows and, quickly, so do its effects, as travelers brace for mass disruptions at airports and SNAP recipients await the return of benefits.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.