Billionaire investor and "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary urged both parties to resolve the federal shutdown before it topples key services, warning that a closure matching the longest in U.S. history would send economic shockwaves "from the IRS to TSA."
O'Leary Warns Against Piecemeal Funding Fixes
"I don't care if you're red or blue — when government stops, America stops," he wrote on X, adding, "You can't piecemeal the problem. Either they get back in the room and make a deal, or the entire economy grinds to a halt. That's not politics, that's math."
O'Leary, who appeared on Fox Business this week, criticized standalone bills to fund individual programs during the standoff. "Very bad idea because you need to keep the pressure on all fronts to get the government back in the room cutting a deal," he said, arguing that carving out exceptions for items like SNAP or aviation pay removes urgency to end the broader impasse.
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O'Leary stressed he isn't assigning blame to one side but said public pressure may be the only lever that forces negotiators back to the table.
Flight Delays Mount As Staffing Strains Deepen
The warning comes as the aviation system strains under unpaid staffing. The FAA has issued ground-delay programs and even halted landings at times because of controller shortages, with widespread delays at hubs including Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington Reagan National and Orlando. Delays have topped two hours in some cases.
Vice President JD Vance has likewise cautioned that a prolonged shutdown could trigger a Thanksgiving travel "disaster," urging Democrats to provide votes to reopen the government.
Courts Press SNAP Funding As Partisan Rift Hardens
Food assistance has become another flashpoint. Multiple federal judges have ordered the administration to tap contingency funds to keep November SNAP payments flowing despite the lapse, as roughly 42 million Americans rely on the program. The administration faces court-imposed deadlines on how to execute those orders.
Republicans, meanwhile, are weighing President Donald Trump's call to end the Senate filibuster so they can pass a funding bill without Democratic support, an idea GOP leaders have largely rejected.
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