Tipsheet

If You're Traveling Next Week, You Might Want to Pay Attention to Secretary Duffy's Warning

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  November 04, 2025 2:15 PM

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is warning of "mass chaos" if the Democratic Party doesn't put an end to the Schumer Shutdown soon.

"You will see mass flight delays. You'll see mass cancelations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don't have the air traffic controllers," Duffy said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also hammered the Democrats on the shutdown and the suffering they're causing the American people.

"The Democrats are intentionally hurting American families, workers, and businesses with this shutdown to fight for free health care for illegal aliens and to appease their radical left-wing base. It's a total disgrace," Leavitt said. "This past weekend, Americans traveling to weddings, funerals, vacations, and meetings faced significant flight disruptions at airports across the country because of staffing shortages. On Sunday alone, more than 5,000 flights traveling to and from U.S. airports were delayed."

Leavitt continued, "And it's not just air traffic controllers and TSA agents bearing the brunt of this Democrat shutdown. Major companies across the travel and aviation sectors are now publicly pleading with Democrats in Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution and reopen the government immediately."

"Let me read directly from a letter sent yesterday by the CEOs of America's four largest airlines—United, Delta, American, and Southwest," Leavitt added. "They wrote: 'We strongly support the Republican clean continuing resolution and urge Congress to pass it without delay to avoid further disruptions to the traveling public and our economy.'"

"The President has repeatedly called on Democrats to come to the table and pass the clean CR that's already passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support," Leavitt said. "But House and Senate Democrats continue to block it, putting politics over people. We cannot let this continue. The President urges Speaker Johnson and Leader McConnell to keep fighting for a clean bill, and he calls on every Democrat with a conscience to join Republicans in ending this shutdown now—for the sake of our economy, our workers, and every American family counting on safe and affordable travel."

Democrats have made it very clear they plan to use Americans' suffering as political leverage in the Schumer Shutdown. With Thanksgiving three weeks away, families looking to travel for the holidays have to wonder if the Democrats' capitulation to their radical base and illegal immigrants won't throw a wrench into Thanksgiving travel plans.