3:07 p.m. ET, January 25, 2019
Shutdown's impact on flights was "contributing catalyst" to reaching a deal, source says
Froim CNN's Rene Marsh
President Trump just
announced a plan to reopen the government for three weeks, funding it until Feb. 15.
The White House had been meeting and communicating with transportation agencies to discuss what impact the shutdown was having on commercial aviation, according to a source familiar.
The White House recently was given a stark portrayal for what would happen as it relates to commercial aviation if this shutdown continued, the source said.
Then the White house saw it play out in real time Friday, with air traffic control staffing issues causing massive delays in one of the busiest airspaces, New York City.
The source adds that today’s staffing issues with air traffic controllers and shortage of TSA officers was a “contributing catalyst to ending this shutdown for both sides” of the negotiations.