 "The Republican-led Senate on Sunday held a swift procedural vote to advance the legislative measure, which appeared to have enough Democratic support to move forward. (Reuters)")
US economic growth in the fourth quarter could turn negative if the ongoing federal shutdown continues, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned in an interview aired on Sunday. Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Hassett highlighted that a shortage of air traffic controllers had already caused significant travel disruptions ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Thanksgiving time is one of the hottest times of the year for the economy… and if people aren’t traveling at that moment, then we really could be looking at a negative quarter for the fourth quarter,” Hassett said.
Bipartisan Senate deal offers hope to end record shutdown
US senators from both parties reached a preliminary agreement on Sunday to restore federal funding and end the record 40-day shutdown that had paralyzed many government operations. The bipartisan deal, seen as the first step toward reopening the government, came amid warnings that national air travel could “slow to a trickle” as cancellations and delays mounted.
CNN and Fox News reported that lawmakers had agreed on a temporary funding measure lasting through January after prolonged disputes over healthcaresubsidies, food assistance, and President Donald Trump’s dismissal of federal employees.
Returning to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump told reporters, “It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending.”
The Republican-led Senate held a procedural vote on Sunday to advance the funding measure, with sufficient Democratic support expected for it to move forward. Once passed by the Senate, the bill will head to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives before reaching Trump’s desk for approval.
Earlier in the day, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that if the shutdown persisted, disruptions to air travel would worsen as the Thanksgiving rush approached. By Sunday evening, flight tracking platform FlightAware reported more than 2,700 cancellations and nearly 10,000 delays across the United States, with the most affected airports including New York’s three major hubs, Chicago O’Hare, and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.