Senate prepares to vote again on Day 8 of government shutdown

10m ago

Senate set to vote for sixth time on measures to fund the government

The Senate is set to hold procedural votes midday Wednesday on dueling measures to fund the government, trying to break the impasse for a sixth time after the bills last fell short of the 60 votes needed on Monday.

The chamber has repeatedly voted on the measures as Republicans have aimed to peel off support from Democrats for their measure. Republicans have been pushing for a House-passed measure to keep the government funded until Nov. 21, while Democrats have a separate measure to fund the government through October that would also extend health insurance tax credits, which has become Democrats’ key demand in the funding fight.

Republicans failed to pick up any new support for their measure on Monday. And with 53 Republicans in the upper chamber, support from Democrats is needed to advance a measure to fund the government.

Just one Democrat initially crossed the aisle to support the bill in a vote last month. But on the next vote, which came last week, two more senators crossed the aisle to back it. Since then, Republicans have been unable to peel off any additional support from Democrats in two more attempts.

By Kaia Hubbard

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/government-shutdown-latest-senate-votes-day-8/#post-update-6a655feb

10m ago

Flights delayed at some U.S. airports amid shortage of air traffic controllers

Airports in U.S. cities including Denver; Newark, New Jersey; and Burbank, California, experienced flight delays Monday amid shortages of air traffic controllers, according to federal flight data.

Federal officials have flagged more air traffic control facilities for low staffing levels in recent days than they have since the summer of 2022, when the post-COVID travel boom sent delays and cancellations soaring, according to a CBS News data analysis of Federal Aviation Administration airspace advisories.

Flights into Hollywood Burbank Airport, which serves Los Angeles, were slowed until 1 a.m. Tuesday, resulting in average delays of 2.5 hours, FAA data shows. No air traffic controllers were on duty on Monday evening at the airport, California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in a social media post.

According to CBS News Los Angeles, plane captains taking off from the Burbank airport were being asked to contact SoCal Approach, a San Diego-based company also known as Southern California TRACON, so they could communicate and get departure clearance.

Read more here.

By Aimee Picchi

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/government-shutdown-latest-senate-votes-day-8/#post-update-a92f858b

Updated 10m ago

Effort to force vote on release of Epstein files stalls with House away amid shutdown

As House GOP leaders have kept the lower chamber away from Washington to put pressure on the Senate to adopt a House-passed measure to fund the government, an effort to force a vote on a measure that would compel the Justice Department to release materials related to Epstein has also been stalled in recent weeks.

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California have been leading the effort, known as a discharge petition, to force the vote, which is on the verge of succeeding once lawmakers return. House GOP leaders have opposed putting the legislation on the floor, arguing it doesn’t do enough to protect victims. Though leaders control what receives a vote, a discharge petition enables members of the lower chamber to bypass leadership if they can get a majority, 218, to sign on.

The petition currently stands at 217 signatures, including all Democrats and four Republicans. And the House’s newest member, Adelita Grijalva, won a special election last month and is expected to deliver the final signature. But her swearing-in has been delayed with the House in recess. Massie has accused House Speaker Mike Johnson of “doing everything he can” to block a vote on the bill.

When asked Tuesday whether the delay in Grijalva’s swearing in had anything to do with the Epstein petition, Johnson told reporters it has “nothing to do with that at all” and reiterated that she will be sworn in once the House returns.

By Kaia Hubbard