Senate shutdown talks continue as airports brace for flight cuts

The Senate is not currently scheduled to vote on the House-passed measure to reopen the government today. 

The Senate convenes at 10 a.m., with a vote on a Democrat-led war powers resolution aimed at blocking strikes on Venezuela, according to Majority Whip John Barrasso’s office.

The notice says further votes are possible on Thursday.

Recipients of federal food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive a higher portion of their monthly payments for November than initially expected, an official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said late Wednesday.

Patrick Penn, who oversees food and nutrition services at the USDA, including SNAP, said in a court declaration that maximum allotments for food-stamp beneficiaries will be reduced by 35% for this month, instead of halved.

As a result, eligible Americans will receive up to 65% of their benefits, more than the initial 50% that states had been directed to implement earlier this week.

Read more here.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has wielded enormous power in Congress and in the Democratic Party for decades, announced on Thursday that she will not seek reelection and will retire from Congress after her term ends in early 2027.

Pelosi, 85, made her decision public in a video released Thursday morning that begins as a letter to the people of the San Francisco area, whom she has represented in the House since she was first elected in 1987. 

“I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi says in the nearly six-minute video. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative.”

“As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power,” Pelosi says. “We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way. And now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy, and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”

Read more here.

Robert Costa and Nikole Killion

Senate Democrats appeared emboldened in their shutdown posture Wednesday after a sweep in key races in Tuesday’s elections. But the caucus appears split on how to proceed, with some progressives urging Democrats not to cave now on their health care demands, while some moderates engage in talks on a way out.

The dynamic came into play after the contours of a deal to end the stalemate began emerging earlier this week, with a possible agreement that would fund the government alongside long-term appropriations bills in exchange for a vote on extending health insurance tax credits that Democrats have demanded.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, told reporters Wednesday that a vote on the tax credits must come with a commitment from GOP leaders that they would support the extension, saying if Democrats “cave now and go forward with a meaningless vote, I think it will be a horrible policy decision, and I think politically, it will be devastating to the Democrats.”

Bipartisan talks on the possible off-ramp to end the shutdown continued Wednesday. Democrats involved in the talks told reporters only that the talks were continuing, without weighing in on the details or how the election was impacting their posture. 

But Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican involved in the talks, told reporters he’s hopeful an end to the shutdown remains in sight, saying he had more conversations Wednesday, while suggesting that Democrats need to “run a victory lap” before ultimately helping them reopen the government.

The FAA’s plan to slash airline capacity due to the government shutdown could hit some of the nation’s busiest airports, including in Atlanta, Dallas, New York City and Los Angeles, according to a proposed list provided to CBS News by a source familiar with the discussions.

It includes scores of busy passenger airports in major cities and airline hubs, as well as cargo airports in Louisville, Kentucky; Memphis, Tennessee; Anchorage, Alaska; Ontario, California, and an airport in Teterboro, New York, that is frequented by private jets and other general aviation traffic.

The list is not final, and it still could change, as the FAA has not issued a final order requiring airlines to cut their capacity. The FAA has not formally announced which airports will have their capacity cut. 

Read the full list here.

Airlines are scrambling to make plans after the Federal Aviation Administration announced it will throttle air travel capacity by 10% in 40 high-volume markets due to the government shutdown.

The capacity cuts are expected to be phased in starting Friday, according to two sources familiar with a call between airlines, the FAA and the Department of Transportation. The airlines have not yet received an official order from the FAA, but are operating under the understanding that they’ll need to reduce their schedules by at least 4% on Friday and at least 5% on Saturday, and hit the 10% mark by next week. Those plans could change, though, when the final order is issued.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the capacity cuts on Wednesday, calling them necessary to reduce stress on air traffic controllers who have worked without pay since the shutdown began last month. Airports have faced on-and-off delays for weeks as some air traffic controllers call out of work.

Several airline sources describe confusion about how the policy will be applied and whether or not it will be tied to actual air traffic controller staffing levels.

Airlines were expecting increased travel volumes this weekend as Veterans Day is next week. There is also the potential for weather disruptions in the upper Midwest this weekend.

The Department of Transportation has not responded to a request for comment.