Speaker Mike Johnson Urges Lawmakers to Return to DC Amid Government Shutdown Chaos
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., has issued a sharp warning to House lawmakers, both Republican and Democratic, urging them to return to Washington, D.C., immediately to end the ongoing government shutdown. The crisis, now in its 41st day, has sparked widespread travel chaos, with nearly half of all domestic and U.S. flights canceled or delayed. Johnson, speaking to reporters on Monday, emphasized that the situation was ‘very serious’ and that lawmakers needed to take urgent action to resolve the impasse.
The House leader pointed to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) recent projection that air travel at the nation’s 4,000 busiest airports would be reduced by 6% as of Tuesday. This projection comes amid staffing shortages attributed to the ongoing shutdown, which has left thousands of federal employees furloughed and critical programs underfunded. Workers deemed ‘essential’—including air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers—have been working without pay for weeks, many taking on second jobs or calling in sick to make ends meet.