After 43 days of chaos, more than $6 billion in lost travel spending and unnecessary pain for travelers and federal workers, Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government. And two key players in the travel industry have something to say about it.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued the following statement:
“All government shutdowns are irresponsible—period. They jeopardize essential services, erode public confidence and inflict needless economic pain. If Congress ever goes down this foolish path again, essential federal workers—like air traffic controllers and TSA agents—must be paid without interruption. America cannot afford another self-inflicted crisis that threatens the systems millions rely on every day.
This resolution restores stability to the people and systems that keep travel moving—but it must also drive long-term change. Congress should invest in the modern infrastructure, technology and workforce needed to keep America moving forward.”
And from Rosanna Maietta, President & CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association:
“The American people deserve a working government. It’s time to get back to work so that we can restore critical funding and services that support millions of people, including travelers and those working in travel-related fields.
“Over the past several days, the federal workforce designed to support and oversee our travel ecosystem began to show cracks at the seams. In light of these conditions, nearly 20 percent of Americans have indicated that they cancelled or changed their Thanksgiving travel plans. The economic uncertainty associated with the shutdown coupled by the reality of travel disruptions rattled consumer confidence, leading to trip cancellations and decreased future bookings.
“With restored funding and staffing for essential services, consumers will once again be able to make plans and travel with certainty. We urge Congress to reach a long-term budget agreement ahead of the next deadline. Neither travelers nor the millions of small businesses that are the backbone of the hotel industry can afford another shutdown.”
U.S. Government Lumbers Back to Life, but Chaos Remains
As the U.S. government creaks back to life, it leaves behind a trail of chaos: snarled airports, hungry families without food assistance, and over a million workers who’ve endured a month without paychecks. Yet for all the pain of this record-breaking 43-day shutdown, the deep political trenches that sparked it haven’t budged an inch.
In fact, the return to normality could be short-lived, as the deal only funds the government until Jan. 30, raising the prospect of another shutdown early next year.
For now, flight reductions at 40 major U.S. airports will remain at 6% instead of rising to 10% by the end of the week because more air traffic controllers are coming to work, officials said Wednesday.
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