Minnesota DFL lawmakers are denouncing the ongoing government shutdown ahead of a busy MEA travel weekend.
DFL leaders including State Rep. Emma Greenman joined community members in voicing concern over potential travel disruptions at MSP Airport because of the shutdown.
"The reason the government is shut down, the reason that our TSA agents are being asked to work without any pay, the reason that we're hearing that they might not get paid again, is because the Trump Congress won't actually do anything about health care premiums," Greenman said.
Jeff Lea with the Metropolitan Airports Commission says despite disruptions elsewhere, for now, things continue to operate smoothly at MSP Airport.
"What I can tell you is that we control what we can control here at the airport," Lea explained. "And certainly we have a lot of dialogue with our federal partners and right now there has been minimal disruption."
As the shutdown drags into its third week, Senator Zaynab Mohamed says it's gone on too long and Minnesotan's deserve better.
"While TSA agents and federal workers keep showing up, they're being told that they might not get paid, and that is unacceptable," Mohamed said. "Our message today is simple, enough is enough. We need to lower health care costs, protect our communities from unlawful ICE actions, and ensure that every Minnesotan can count on a government that is functioning."
Over 150,000 travelers are expected to pass through MSP Airport this weekend.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday the federal government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won't negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on their health care demands and reopen.
Standing alone at the Capitol on the 13th day of the shutdown, the speaker said he was unaware of the details of the thousands of federal workers being fired by the Trump administration. It's a highly unusual mass layoff widely seen as way to seize on the shutdown to reduce the scope of government. Vice President JD Vance has warned of “painful” cuts ahead, even as employee unions sue.
“We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history,” Johnson of Louisiana said.
With no endgame in sight, the shutdown is expected to roll on for the unforeseeable future. The closure has halted routine government operations, shuttered Smithsonian museums and other landmark cultural institutions and left airports scrambling with flight disruptions, all injecting more uncertainty into an already precarious economy.
The House is out of legislative session, with Johnson refusing to recall lawmakers back to Washington, while the Senate, closed Monday for the federal holiday, will return to work Tuesday. But senators are stuck in a cul-de-sac of failed votes as Democrats refuse to relent on their health care demands.