Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska made some headlines on Thursday by voting against the Senate’s plan to take a break for the weekend. This decision comes as the government shutdown inches ever closer to hitting the one-month mark.
According to Murkowski, adjourning just meant falling back into ‘business as usual.’ She shared her frustration in a post on X, stating, “This is a missed opportunity to stay here and work out a deal. I wanted my vote recorded as a ‘no’. We shouldn’t just pack up and go home—not when it’s affecting everyone, including the air traffic controllers at our airport!”
While most senators scrambled to head home after their last vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) faced delays with his flight. The shutdown is part of the issues stemming from reduced staffing, which affects overall operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put a brief hold on flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to further delays despite the hold being lifted after a short period.
As this political standoff drags on, Thune highlighted that there are moderation discussions happening among Democrats who are looking for a way out of this frustrated situation. He mentioned potential compromises, such as extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that are due to terminate by the end of 2025, and expressed openness to further discussions with Democrats.
“I’ve told them consistently that once they’re ready to unlock the government, we’ll ensure there’s a system for them to get their policies discussed and voted on,” Thune added, optimistic that interest is growing on their part.
Murkowski also pointed out that bipartisan talks aimed at putting an end to the shutdown are taking place this week, saying that the prolonged nature of the shutdown doesn’t reflect well on anyone involved. “We’ve discussed enough possibilities; if someone just charts how everything can fit together, I believe we can actually end this shutdown next week,” she informed reporters.
As the shutdown stretches into its second month, a recent poll from the Washington Post/ABC revealed that approximately 45% of Americans blame Republican lawmakers and former President Trump for the situation. Meanwhile, around 33% attribute the blame to Democrats, and about 22% of participants expressed uncertainty.
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