As millions of American families prepare for Thanksgiving travel, they’re facing an unprecedented disaster at airports across the country. Flight delays are mounting, security lines stretch for hours, and the very workers meant to keep travelers safe are going without paychecks. Behind this chaos lies a staggering economic toll: the travel industry is hemorrhaging a billion dollars every single week, with experts warning that the worst is yet to come as we approach the busiest travel season of the year.

In Nevada, where tourism isn’t just an industry but the lifeblood of entire communities, desperate business leaders are begging Washington for relief. Major employers like MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and The Venetian have joined a coalition of nearly 500 travel groups nationwide, warning of “devastating” consequences if the government shutdown continues through the holidays. The economic bleeding has become so severe that even the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority—not exactly known for political activism—is pleading for action.

From ‘Daily Caller’:

Tourism giants, including MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, The Venetian and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority were among the Nevada signatories warning of “devastating” economic consequences if the shutdown continues into the holiday travel season. “With Thanksgiving, the busiest travel period of the year, imminently approaching, the consequences of a continued shutdown will be immediate, deeply felt by millions of American travelers, and economically devastating to communities in every state,” the letter says in part.

These Nevada businesses are literally begging for help. Yet their own Senator Jacky Rosen has voted thirteen times—thirteen!—against clean continuing resolutions that would reopen the government immediately. Here’s the kicker: When pressed about her constituents’ suffering, Rosen incredibly blamed Republicans, claiming “It’s their shutdown,” despite the fact that Republicans have repeatedly offered clean funding bills with no strings attached. This shameless exhibition of political gaslighting insults the intelligence of every Nevada voter watching their livelihoods crumble.

Democrats Choose Politics Over Paychecks

The hypocrisy becomes even more stunning when you consider what Democrats claim to stand for. Remember when they called themselves the party of working families? Now they’re holding the entire government hostage over healthcare provisions they want added to spending bills. Meanwhile, TSA agents and air traffic controllers—the very people keeping our skies safe—are working without pay. Think about that. Democrats claim to protect workers, yet they’re forcing them to choose between showing up unpaid or abandoning their posts.

Last Sunday alone saw over 5,000 domestic flights delayed. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns conditions will only deteriorate. But hey, at least Chuck Schumer’s making his political point, right?

What makes Rosen’s obstruction particularly galling is that she has a clear alternative. Nevada’s other Democratic senator, Catherine Cortez Masto, has consistently voted for the bipartisan clean continuing resolutions. She argues—correctly—that shutting down the government hurts Nevada constituents. Imagine that: a politician actually representing her constituents instead of playing partisan games. Cortez Masto proves that Democrats don’t have to march in lockstep with Schumer’s destructive strategy. They can choose their constituents over party politics. Rosen simply refuses to.

The economic devastation extends far beyond inconvenienced travelers. The Congressional Budget Office projects total losses between $7 billion and $14 billion from this engineered catastrophe. For Nevada, where tourism and hospitality represent the largest employment sector, the damage cuts deepest. Every day Rosen maintains her obstruction is another day Nevada workers wonder if their jobs will survive this political theater. But apparently, sticking it to President Trump matters more than their mortgages.

The Political Bill Comes Due

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has made Republicans’ position crystal clear: pass a clean funding bill first, then discuss healthcare provisions separately. It’s reasonable. It’s responsible. It would immediately restore paychecks to federal workers and end the travel chaos. But Democrats like Rosen would rather watch their own constituents suffer than give President Trump a “win” by reopening the government he’s trying to fund.

This strategy of maximum resistance is already backfiring spectacularly. The same tourism executives pleading for relief today will remember who ignored their desperation when campaign season rolls around. Nevada voters aren’t stupid. They’re watching their senator vote repeatedly against their interests while claiming to fight for them. The political smoke screen isn’t working anymore.

Democrats seem to have forgotten that Americans have long memories. Especially when their holiday plans are ruined. Especially when their paychecks disappear. Every parent who misses Thanksgiving with their children because of flight delays, every federal worker forced to visit food banks, every small business owner watching tourism revenue evaporate—they all know exactly who’s responsible for this mess. And they’ll remember.

As we head into the holiday season, Rosen and her Democratic colleagues face a choice: continue their cynical obstruction and own the resulting chaos, or join Republicans and reasonable Democrats like Cortez Masto in reopening the government. The Nevada businesses begging for relief deserve better than a senator who puts Chuck Schumer’s political games above their survival. Come 2026, voters will remember who stood with working families and who chose party politics over people’s paychecks. The reckoning is coming.

Key Takeaways

• Sen. Jacky Rosen voted 13 times against reopening the government despite Nevada businesses pleading for relief
• Democrats are holding federal workers hostage over healthcare demands while claiming to champion working families
• Nevada’s tourism industry loses millions weekly while Rosen plays partisan games with their survival
• Fellow Democrat Sen. Cortez Masto’s opposing votes prove Rosen is choosing party loyalty over constituents

Sources: Daily Caller