Could airport delays stop the two-week long shutdown? Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., is doubtful. “I haven’t seen anything that breaks the stalemate,” he told Semafor, adding: “This whole thing is stupid.”
After the House’s stopgap bill failed again Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune switched up tactics, setting up a vote later this week on a defense-only funding bill.
Senate Minority whip Dick Durbin wants Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson to meet with Democratic leaders and President Donald Trump: “It’s time for us to sit down and resolve this.”
There’s no sign of such a meeting yet — and some senators say the shutdown isn’t breaking through back home.
“Most of my constituency back in Texas doesn’t know the government is shut down, except for delays in air traffic,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told Semafor. “It’s obviously a battle of wills.”