Press Releases

WASHINGTON — Read “Travel Industry Sounds Alarm Over Government Shutdown,” in today’s Wall Street Journal:

Hundreds of travel businesses, including casinos, hotels and convention bureaus, are asking Congress to end the monthlong government shutdown by immediately passing a straightforward spending bill, citing worries about the holiday travel season.

The letter signed by nearly 500 companies and groups adds to the pressure on Democrats to give up their drive for a broader deal before voting to reopen the government. Since the shutdown started Oct. 1, government workers including air-traffic controllers and passenger screeners have gone without pay, leading to delays and safety concerns.

Americans “expect and deserve a fully functioning federal government during the peak holiday travel season,” the travel entities wrote in a letter led by the U.S. Travel Association and sent to the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate. “Congress must act without delay to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government immediately and ensure full federal operations are restored in advance of the Thanksgiving travel period.”

Senate Democrats since September have blocked a GOP measure funding the government through Nov. 21, attempting to force Republicans to extend certain subsidies that help 22 million people pay for health insurance. Senate Republicans have said that they will discuss the subsidies only after Democrats agree to reopen the government. The subsidies would add an estimated $350 billion to the federal deficit over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The travel-industry letter was signed mostly by small businesses and groups that promote travel. But it was also signed by giants including MGM Resorts International, Hilton, Omni Hotels and Resorts, Delaware North and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The busiest air-travel day last year was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with more than three million travelers in the skies, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration. Travel plans are typically locked in far in advance, causing anxiety about whether travelers will be willing to make plans with the uncertainty of the shutdown in the background.

“A continued shutdown is likely to significantly suppress travel demand and spending, creating a real threat to American workers, businesses, and the overall economy,” the letter said.

Last week, airline chief executives met at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and called on the Senate to pass a so-called continuing resolution that passed the House on Sept. 19.

“It is time to pass a clean CR, use that as the opportunity to get into a room behind closed doors and negotiate hard,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said.

Before that, the nation’s largest federal labor union went public with a call for Congress to pass the same bill.

Conversations about ending the government shutdown continued among senators over the weekend, according to one aide, and senators have been growing more optimistic about finding a way out of the shutdown. But the optimism that swept through the Senate last week still hasn’t resulted in a deal.