The Abridged version:
- Rep. Ami Bera, a Democrat, said Republicans face a “wake up” call to reopen the government, following Tuesday’s election results across the nation.
- Adding pressure is the FAA’s announcement Wednesday that the agency will cut 10% of air traffic in 40 “high-volume” markets starting Friday, due to the shutdown.
- It is unknown if Sacramento International Airport would be among those affected markets.
U.S. Rep Ami Bera said Wednesday he can see the end approaching for the government shutdown, which has stretched 36 days and broken the record for the longest halt in federal operations.
“The outcome of the election was a wake up call for Republicans, and I think they’re a little bit scared,” Bera, D-Elk Grove, said in an interview. “They recognize the public is a bit angry here, and I think that’s the impetus to say, ‘Hey, let’s get this thing open.'”
Bera sat down with Abridged Wednesday, fresh off Democrats’ redistricting measure success and his announcement that he would run in the redrawn 3rd Congressional District.
Tuesday’s election saw blue wins coast to coast, including a pair of moderate Democratic women winning governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani’s success in the New York City mayoral race.
Now that the electoral dust has settled, Bera said he thinks legislators are prepared to find a solution to the record-setting shutdown.
Adding pressure is an announcement Wednesday from the Federal Aviation Administration that the agency will cut air traffic by 10% in 40 “high-volume” markets starting Friday morning. The agency did not name the 40 markets that would be affected by the slowdown.
Air traffic controllers have worked without pay since the shutdown began in October. The FAA’s move comes weeks ahead of a busy holiday travel season.
“I’m friends with a lot of Republicans and what they’re being told is to be on 24-hour standby,” Bera said. “So, I think we’re ready to go back to Washington, D.C., and I think we’re pretty close to getting the government opening up.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.