U.S. Government Shuts Down: Here’s How It Affects Travel
Photo Credit: View of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Adobe Stock / Orhan Cam
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Currently the impact to travel is minimal, but if the shutdown stretches for weeks, travelers may start to see long lines at the airport, flight delays, and litter all over national parks.
The U.S. government shut down at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday after lawmakers in Congress failed to reach a deal on a short-term spending bill.
A short shutdown most likely won’t affect travel. Federal employees deemed as “essential” would still have to work through a government shutdown. Much of travel, ranging from the TSA to air traffic control, falls into that category.
But the longer it drags on, the greater the impact: If the shutdown lasts for weeks, travelers may start seeing flight delays, long lines at the airport, and trash piling up at national parks.
There are also some concerns that a shutdown this time around could last for a while, partly due to the scheduling of the congressional calendar, according to The Washington Post.
And the impact could last beyond the shutdown. Historically, government shutdowns have led to furloughs of thousands of federal workers, who resume work once a fundin
