U of I Political Science Expert Anticipates Extended Funding Challenges and Travel Disruptions Amidst Prolonged Shutdown

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The ongoing government shutdown has now become the longest in U.S. history, marking its 36th day on Wednesday.

When the shutdown began, WCIA 3 spoke with Brian Gaines, a political science professor at the University of Illinois, to get his insights. We recently caught up with him again to discuss the latest developments.

As the threat of a government shutdown continues, a Champaign County organization is stepping up to support affected families.

“Public opinion hasn’t definitively assigned blame yet,” explained Gaines. “There are still individuals on both sides who remain unruffled, believing that the negative consequences could ultimately benefit their party by reflecting poorly on the opposition.”

Initially, healthcare was the primary issue causing a deadlock between the parties, according to Gaines. He notes that this issue remains unresolved.

And, he said the more recent funding issues with the SNAP program are just tip of the iceberg for what could happen if the shutdown drags on.

“Those aren’t so much a negotiation with long term budget as much as they are a burning fuse that eventually this bomb of unpopularity goes off and one of the parties is holding it,” said Gaines.

He said other challenges could be on the horizon too.

“Federal bureaucracy does a lot of things,” Gaines said. “Mortgages could be affected, the renewal of passports.”

One thing he’s keeping an eye on? Air travel.

Already, the FAA said it plans to reduce flights by 10% at 40 airports by the end of the week.

“That might make more lawmakers nervous that a lot of constituents will end up angry that there will be extreme delays at airports just before the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving when a heck of a lot of people travel,” said Gaines

And, he is avoiding making a prediction on how long the shutdown will last.

“If I was being bold I’d say I don’t think this goes past Thanksgiving,” said Gaines. “But then I’ll just be eating my words as we do our interview on Christmas Eve maybe.”