iStockphoto / robertcicchetti
The U.S. government has been shutdown since October 1st, or over 33 days now. It is mere hours away from becoming the longest U.S. government shutdown in the history of our country, soon surpassing the 35-day 2018-19 shutdown, and this one truly has no end in sight. The Houston Airport is feeling those effects as we speak.
This ongoing shutdown has lasted long enough for millions of Americans to become experts in what stays open and what is closed during a government shutdown. “Emergency personnel” such as federal law enforcement, doctors and nurses at federal hospitals, and air traffic controllers continue to receive paychecks.
Houston Airport Travelers Facing 3+ Hour Waits Due To Government Shutdown
Elsewhere in the airports, TSA workers are not getting paid. This has led to extreme staffing shortages across the nation and nowhere is worse right now than the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas where travelers are facing wait times in excess of 3 hours.
Currently, on the IAH airport website the security lines are listed as either 180 minutes or closed. 180 minutes is the maximum amount of time the website displays and the actual wait times exceed 180 minutes at the moment.
IAH Airport
If you are like me you are probably thinking ‘there’s no way the waits are that bad. They are just fear mongering and trying to ensure people get there early.’ If only that was the case!
Countless video clips from the Houston airport have gone viral over the past 36 hours showing nightmarish travel conditions. The security lines are so long they wrap through the airport and out onto the streets where people getting dropped off.
‘How has the government shutdown impacted you?’ is a question I constantly see posted on Reddit. Well, I’d love to see these people answer that question today:
@therealdgomes27 Thoughts and prayers for those without TSA precheck #governmentshutdown #tsa #IAH #Houston #travelnightmare
Traveling can be a taxing experience without having to face 3+ hour wait times just to get through security. These travelers are waiting 180+ minutes because there are no TSA workers, because those workers haven’t been paid, and they will be paid backpay after the shutdown, all because of government shutdowns became weaponized by political parties.
@abc13houston Houston travelers are facing long waits at airport security as the government shutdown limits TSA staffing—expect lines of 1 hour at Hobby and over 3 hours at Bush, officials say. #governmentshutdown #govtshutdown #tsa #waitlines #airport #hobby #IAH #abc13houston #abc13 #fyf #fyp #fy
The White House set up a website with a ticking clock of how long the government shutdown has been going on. It carries a message about how the White House deems responsible for the shutdown. Meanwhile, we are no closer to the government reopening. There has been zero progress whatsoever. None.
With Thanksgiving travel set to pick up in the coming weeks, will every airport in the country look like this?