Leading national associations are highlighting the array of negative consequences that would befall the industries and people they represent unless the federal government avoids a shutdown. Republicans are seeking to implement a seven-week spending bill to buy time to fund the government, but Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are not cooperating.
In a statement obtained by Breitbart News, the U.S. Travel Association urged Congress to avert a shutdown, as government funding is set to expire on Wednesday, October 1.
“On behalf of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents all components of the $1.3 trillion U.S. travel industry, I write to urge Congress to act swiftly to keep the federal government open and avoid a shutdown,” a spokesperson for the association said. “A shutdown is a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy—costing $1 billion every week—and affecting millions of travelers and businesses while placing unnecessary strain on an already overextended federal travel workforce.”
The organization emphasized that the ramifications of a shutdown would be both “immediate and severe.”
“A shutdown exacerbates staffing shortages among Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers, threatening longer airport security lines, flight delays, and cancellations,” the group added. “It halts hiring and training of new air traffic controllers when we are already short more than 2,800 controllers nationwide, and restarting the process adds further delays even after funding is restored. While Congress recently provided a $12.5 billion down payment to modernize our nation’s air travel system and improve safety and efficiency, this urgently needed modernization will stop in the event of a shutdown.”
“Travelers and communities also bear the brunt of closed or neglected National Parks and federally owned museums and attractions, diminished visitor experiences, and the erosion of vital infrastructure that sustains local economies across the country. According to a recent Ipsos survey, 60% of Americans say they would cancel or avoid trips by air in the event of a government shutdown,” the statement continued:
These harms ripple far beyond airports and parks, threatening jobs, small businesses, and economic growth in every state. Nearly nine in ten Americans across both political parties agree that Congress should work together to prevent a shutdown. The travel industry is proud to support millions of jobs and play an essential role in the U.S. economy. We urge you to meet this moment of responsibility and keep our government funded.
The National Association of Builders came out in support of the House-passed bill to fund the government, H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026. However, Schumer and Democrats, aside from Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), snuffed out the bill in the Senate this month.
“On behalf of the more than 140,000 members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), I am writing in support of H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 that would continue to fund operations of the federal government including the extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) until November 21. Without this bill, the NFIP program is set to expire on September 30,” a spokesman wrote. “Past disruptions of the NFIP have caused immediate and widespread negative impacts on property sales, home values and consumer confidence. Home sales would cease in areas where flood insurance is mandatory in order to obtain a mortgage. Homeowners who have current NFIP policies would also be unable to renew them during a lapse.”
“NAHB believes that it is critically important for the economy, and the housing industry specifically, that Congress extend this vital program to provide certainty, predictability, and peace of mind to policyholders who rely on the NFIP for the flood protection and mitigation strategies for which it was designed,” the statement continued.
“What the housing market needs now is stability and certainty. NAHB calls upon the House to act quickly to continue to fund the operations of the federal government including the extension of the NFIP,” it concluded.
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Vice President and ATA Action Executive Director Kyle Zebley implored lawmakers “to not leave millions of patients and beleaguered healthcare providers dangling on the telehealth cliff while they deliberate over dynamics around a government shutdown.”
“We appreciate that both the House and Senate have been working hard to advance a short-term funding bill. But with Congress out of session this week and not returning until September 29, that leaves only one day before the telehealth flexibilities expire,” he added.
“ATA Action is calling on Congress to include a retroactive statement in legislation, in the likely event of a government shutdown, to ensure retroactive reimbursement of telehealth services during that time period,” he added.
He also detailed the consequences that Medicare beneficiaries will face under a shutdown.
“What does this really mean for Americans who are relying on virtual care? Medicare beneficiaries will no longer have telehealth visits reimbursed and critical programs like the Acute Hospital Care at Home program could face major disruption. We will basically revert back to pre-pandemic restrictions, severely limiting access to urgently needed telehealth services,” Zebley said. “Hospitals and clinicians will struggle to sustain telehealth-based care if reimbursement disappears. It’s untenable.”
The Association of Mature American Citizens Action, the advocacy affiliate of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), is yet another organization calling for the passage of a clean continuing resolution to fund the government. AMCA has over two million members around the country.
“A government shutdown would jeopardize critical services that seniors rely on, from Social Security offices and Medicare assistance to veterans’ benefits and health programs,” the group said. “The confusion, backlogs, and service disruptions that accompany a shutdown create needless anxiety and hardship for older Americans living on fixed incomes.”
AMAC called the demands that Democrat leaders are seeking “unpopular and unreasonable.”
“The demands reportedly being made by Democrat leaders to keep the government open, including healthcare for illegal aliens and funding for public broadcasting stations that consistently peddle harmful falsehoods about conservatives, are unpopular and unreasonable requests,” it added. “President Trump and Republican leaders have the support of America’s seniors in rejecting these demands.”
“We urge lawmakers to avoid political brinkmanship, act now, and honor their commitment to the American people, especially our nation’s seniors,” it added.
The Independent Women’s Voice (IWV), Parents Defending Education, and CURE are also calling on lawmakers to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
“This clean continuing resolution is a necessary step to keeping the government running even as Congress does the good work to pass responsible appropriations bills through regular order. Americans did not vote for a dysfunctional government. They want a right-sized government, and so far, this Congress has taken that mandate seriously,” a spokesperson for IWV said in a statement. “Furthermore, in light of the horrendous slaying of Charlie Kirk, this CR provides members of Congress with additional protections so that they can serve their constituents. We urge all members to pass this clean CR to prevent disruptions to national security, public safety, veterans care, and social safety net programs while bringing back fiscal responsibility.”
Parents Defending Education called for bipartisanship.
“Keeping the government open should be bipartisan. A clean CR does that without wasting taxpayer money on things like earmarks, pet projects, and attempts to re-fund programs that deserve to be shut down,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
CURE lauded House Republicans for their passage of a CR out of the lower chamber while calling on lawmakers to avoid a shutdown.
“The Senate should pass a clean Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded when the current fiscal year expires on Tuesday, September 30th. House Republicans and a Democrat congressman from Maine have already taken this responsible action,” the group said in a statement.
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