White House officials and Democrats on Capitol Hill know the shutdown pain is about to get a lot worse.
But neither side is blinking — yet.
In the weeks ahead, long lines and canceled flights, so far localized in cities such as Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans, are expected to grow. Experts say the country is on the precipice of a surge in TSA callouts and resignations, which would strain the system nationwide. And there’s a tight timeline to resolve the impasse: Congress is set to leave for recess at the end of next week.
“It is not yet widespread …[but] keep this thing going for another week or two, and there’s a real good chance it is going to be widespread,” said an aviation industry official, granted anonymity to discuss industry’s engagement with the Trump administration about the ordeal. “There’s a decent chance that this isn’t going to get resolved before [Congress recesses at the end of next week], and it’s going to take a giant meltdown to get it resolved.”
