Hundreds of travel businesses, including casinos, hotels and convention bureaus, are asking Congress to end the monthlong government shutdown by immediately passing a straightforward spending bill, in a letter citing worries about the holiday travel season.
The letter signed by nearly 500 companies and groups adds to the pressure on Democrats to give up their drive for a broader deal before voting to reopen the government. Since the shutdown started Oct. 1, government workers including air-traffic controllers and passenger screeners have gone without pay, leading to delays and safety concerns.
Americans “expect and deserve a fully functioning federal government during the peak holiday travel season,” the travel entities wrote in a letter led by the U.S. Travel Association and sent to the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate.
