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Experts: Flight Disruptions Could Last Long After Shutdown Ends; FAA Increasing Flight Cuts Today to 6 Percent Across 40 Airports; Trump Threatens to Dock Pay of ATC Workers Who Call Out; Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) Discusses About Reopening Federal Government; House Expected to Vote Tomorrow on Deal to End Shutdown; U.K. Suspends Some Intel Sharing with U.S. Over Boat Strikes. Aired 3- 3:30p ET

Aired November 11, 2025 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: ... of the work week, and that is good news, because if you didn't like the winter Arctic outbreak, look, it's only going to get better from here. Dallas will be all the way to 83. So, it'll rebound from some of the first flakes of snow of the season to near record temperatures for some places across the country, so quite a roller coaster and temperature swing for much of the eastern U.S., Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: I look forward to it getting warmer. Derek Van Dam, thank you so much for the reporting.

VAN DAM: Me too.

SANCHEZ: A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The government shutdown could be over as soon as this week, but the travel turmoil could last for weeks.

And we're following the legal battle over SNAP benefits. Today, the Supreme Court could rule on a request by the Trump administration to keep blocking states from providing full SNAP benefits. What the ruling could mean for 42 million people?

And, a major break. The United Kingdom is suspending some intelligence sharing with the U.S., so what sparked the move? The Trump administration strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: If House Speaker Mike Johnson gets his way by this time tomorrow, the House could be gathering for a vote to reopen the federal government. Though, when the shutdown ends, some of the damage will linger. Staffing issues could disrupt air travel for weeks or longer. And just one day after President Trump threatened to dock the pay of air traffic controllers who call out, the FAA is warning that more flight cuts could keep happening. Over 1,200 flights have been canceled today, now more than 2,300 are delayed.

CNN's Pete Muntean is live at Reagan National Airport, one of his -- one of the 40 airports that are feeling this. Pete, what more are you learning?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, the good news is that the number of FAA air traffic control facilities with understaffing enough to be an issue, that number is actually pretty small today, only about two or three facilities causing problems today. Compare that to about 40 yesterday, which has caused the flight cancellations to abate somewhat.

Sunday was the worst day for flight cancellations we have seen since the start of this shutdown, 2,900 flights canceled nationwide. That number went down a little bit yesterday. We saw 2,400 flights canceled nationwide, due in part to air traffic control staffing shortages, but also weather issues, some pretty big issues in the Northeast, also in the Midwest with a snowstorm.

Today, the numbers are a lot better, we're about half of what we were yesterday. We've seen about 1,200 cancellations at last check, according to FlightAware. Seventy percent of those are flights preemptively canceled by the airlines to comply with this mandate from the Trump administration for airlines to slash their schedules at 40 major airports across the country, including here at Reagan National Airport to try and siphon off some of the stress on the air traffic controllers who continue to work unpaid during this government shutdown.

The number of flights mandated to be cut by the Trump administration actually went up today. At 6 A.M., it went to 6 percent, goes to 8 percent on Thursday, then 10 percent on Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke at an FAA facility in Wausau, Wisconsin earlier. And he said that those cuts may be here to stay. He is the final authority when it comes to deciding when it is safe enough to do so. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: I think it's -- it's -- it's been effective, but we are watching this on a daily basis. Where is -- where is the data? Because we're trying to manage risk in the system to make sure people fly and fly safely. We're going to start to alleviate the restrictions that we're at 6 percent now. We'll alleviate that only when the data says we should.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that he's signaling these shortages essentially may not be ending with immediacy. This is here to stay, because remember, there is a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, causing controllers to work mandatory six-day weeks of 10-hour shifts in some facilities, could be one or 2,000 controllers short still in the U.S., he says.

By the way, Duffy says he's analyzing what the FAA can do after the Trump administration, after President Trump posted yesterday that controllers who worked every day they were scheduled to during this shutdown could receive a $10,000 bonus. But also, the President said that if they did not work during that period of time, they should up and quit.

Although it seems like the air traffic control system can't really handle more controllers quitting, Duffy says more and more are retiring at an accelerated pace because of the impacts of this government shutdown.

SANCHEZ: Pete Muntean, live for us at Reagan National. Thank you so much. Brianna?

KEILAR: And we're joined now by Dave Riley. He's a retired FAA air traffic controller.

This, I think, may be welcome news, certainly that this shutdown may be lifted soon, but it's not without difficulty for these air traffic controllers, Dave.

[15:05:05]

And I want to know what you think, because President Trump yesterday told controllers to get back to work now. He threatened to dock pay and recommend bonuses for those who didn't take time off. He said, "I'm not happy with you." He said to those who did nothing but complain or took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid in full, is how he put it. How do you think current air traffic controllers hear that?

DAVE RILEY, RETIRED FAA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Well, thanks for having me, Brianna. Good afternoon. You know, a lot of the controllers are -- are extremely frustrated at the President's remarks. And understandably so, because these controllers are -- are consummate professionals, held to an extremely high standard, and the -- the physical standards that controllers are required to have takes -- takes a toll on them as well.

If you simply take over-the-counter cough medicine, you're disqualified from working if you're -- if you happen to have a common cold. And during the shutdown, some controllers had used sick leave because of those -- those types of situations. In addition, fatigue. They've been working an extreme amount of overtime for years post- pandemic, and a lot of controllers before -- even before the shutdown were overworked.

As Pete mentioned, 10-hour days, six days a week, it'll take a toll on anybody. And as a matter of fact, I received a devastating call last night from a -- a -- a controller's wife that I used to work with in Denver. And he's been -- he's been struggling over the last couple weeks, and she had expressed that to me a few days ago. And last night, unfortunately, he took his own life.

So, this has a real human toll on these controllers. It is -- it is not a game. And to be used as a political pawn is -- is absolutely ludicrous. They need to fix this and fix it now.

KEILAR: Dave, that is horrific. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? I mean, the circumstances or what -- what did she -- what did she tell you? What -- what about the circumstances right now related to the shutdown?

RILEY: Well, she -- we had -- right, we -- we had a conversation a few days ago, and she expressed to me that he was not doing well because of the shutdown. And the overwhelming stress, and the work hours trying to take care of his family. And then, last night, she called me in a panic, and I helped her through the situation at the moment. And then, I -- I followed up, and I said, hey, the -- not to be insensitive, but I think it's important that we share this with the American public, that this is the human toll that it's taking.

And she agreed. She's like, please, share this story. Because I asked her specifically, do you think the shutdown had caused him to go to this extreme? And she said, 100 percent, yes, it -- it had. So, it's devastating for those of us that worked -- worked with him in the past, and -- and a lot of controllers are -- are struggling with that now. And his story is not absolutely unique, but it has a personal impact happening so recently.

KEILAR: Yes. That is heartbreaking, and our hearts go out to her and their family. That is -- that is tragic. That -- what do -- I mean, in thinking of that, what do air traffic controllers need from their leadership? Because let's just be clear, I think we're getting a sense, even without a shutdown, of how tough their jobs are and how overtaxed they are. What do they need from their leadership right now as they still are waiting to get paid and going forward once this is over?

RILEY: Yes, it's -- you know, air traffic control is one of the -- the worst, best jobs you can ever have, because it's a very rewarding career. I've always been proud of being an air traffic controller, and I love telling people stories. But when you meet people on the street, one of the first questions they -- or statements they say is, wow, air traffic controller, that's a really stressful job.

So, mostly -- for the most part, the general public understands that. But the standard that we're held to as far as being 100 percent right, you know, perfection is the norm when you're working air traffic. You can't make mistakes because there -- there are -- there are lives at stake when you are -- are doing your job. And so, a little bit of compassion, you know, from -- from the leadership would be appreciated for these controllers that are -- that are working extreme amounts of overtime for years.

I mean, it used to be a thing when an overtime shift was announced that, you know, you could make, you know, time and a half. People were jumping all over and fighting for it. And now people can't get rid of their overtime shifts fast enough because the money doesn't matter anymore. It's about having, you know, a quality of life.

So, you know, a little bit of compassion and understanding goes a long way amongst the controller workforce. And if there are so many people just chomping at the bit to get this job that are -- that are overly qualified, why has -- why have we fallen so short of our staffing goals over all these years, literally decades?

[15:10:01] And we're at over a 30-year low of air traffic controller staffing, and nobody seems to be able to figure it out. And apparently there's a -- a -- unbelievable line of -- of overly qualified people that you can just throw a headset on them and put them on position and they're -- and they're good to go.

The training process takes years, and finding people that are qualified to do the job is -- is a very difficult task. So, the administration, whether it's a Republican or a Democrat administration, they need to put an unconcerted effort into -- to hiring these air traffic controllers and stop messing around with the funding that -- that allows the FAA to staff these facilities. It just -- it's not a -- it's not a toy. I mean, we shouldn't be playing with it, absolutely not.

KEILAR: Yes. Look, the job -- the job is a matter of life or death, and -- and you're bringing up that issue in another way today.

Dave Riley, thank you so much.

Please extend, certainly, our sympathies to the woman that you spoke with. And we do, in light of what we talked to Dave about there, just want to put up the suicide hotline. So, if you or anyone that you know is struggling, please text or call the suicide hotline at 988.

And still to come, we will look closer at the potential timeline to reopen the government. It's not immediate.

Plus, what you need to know after the FDA issues new guidance on hormone therapy for menopause.

Then, later on this day, to honor our veterans, we look at one of the biggest issues facing the men and women who served our country. We'll have that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:15:55]

SANCHEZ: After spending nearly two months away from the nation's capital, right now lawmakers are heading back to Capitol Hill. They could vote as early as tomorrow on the Senate-passed bill to reopen the federal government. To get that deal across the finish line in the Senate, Republicans guaranteed a future vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. There is no guarantee that measure would pass the Senate. There's actually also no guarantee that it would even be voted on in the House. Speaker Mike Johnson has so far not pledged to hold a similar vote.

Let's discuss with Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia.

Congressman, thank you so much for being with us.

I -- I've seen that you've been critical of the senators that decided to move forward with supporting this GOP-backed bill to -- to reopen the government. I do want to ask you about Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, though, because he's made the case that at least for federal workers, 13 -- 35,000 plus of which live in your district, this is a win. It guarantees that they'll be able to keep their jobs. It guarantees that they'll be receiving back pay as well. You don't see it as a win for them?

REP. SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM (D-VA): It's a win on the face of it. I'll say that there are other ways to get rid of or fire workers besides that. There's end-arounds. And this president has also denied the will and instructions of Congress and the law multiple times.

For instance, firing people during the shutdown was illegal, but he did it anyway, right? And so, I don't trust this president. I don't trust the Senate majority. I don't trust the House majority. What I wanted was a lot more than just assurances. I wanted us to actually get something on the table.

What we should have been doing is the House should have met over the past month, and we should have been hashing out what we're going to do on healthcare so that premiums don't skyrocket for the American people. Instead, what we got was a pinky promise, which isn't exactly what I wanted when we started this whole thing.

The other thing is that Republicans in the -- in the Senate, actually eight of them are going to be getting a half a million dollars each in payouts because the -- they were the subject of the insurrection investigation for January 6th. And so, there's more money in there for Republican senators than there is for healthcare in this bill. I have to be a no on this.

SANCHEZ: That's really interesting. I -- I do wonder if focusing on extending these ACA subsidies was a goal of the shutdown. And what you have now is, as -- as you put it, a pinky promise. Is -- is there any guarantee that Republicans are actually serious about doing something that would benefit Obamacare, given that for about a decade, the President himself has been campaigning against it. He's been talking about repeal and replacing. Are you confident that there is something substantial to replace it with?

SUBRAMANYAM: I really just want to know what the plan is for Republicans on healthcare. They haven't given me a plan besides cutting healthcare. For instance, cutting Medicaid access over the summer. So, I'd love to know what their plan is on healthcare.

But if their plan is to allow people's premiums to skyrocket anywhere from 20- to 500 percent over the next year, then that's not a very good plan. We need to find something better. But I will say there's been some Republicans that have actually put forward one-year extensions of this, which I don't think is enough, but it's something, right?

And so, if you put this bill to a vote on the House floor, I think it does pass, unless Donald Trump starts calling Republicans, then it never passes, right?

SANCHEZ: True. SUBRAMANYAM: But if it -- you know, the will of Republicans and Democrats in the House coming together for a vote, this would pass. So, Speaker Johnson just needs to put it on the floor for a vote.

SANCHEZ: You -- you spoke about wanting to extend it beyond a -- a year. I've spoken to Republicans who make the case that this is simply a Band-Aid. They believe that in order to help Obamacare and sustain premiums at the level that they are now, you're essentially borrowing money from the nation's grandchildren. You're -- you're leveraging the debt, essentially. What -- what's your response?

SUBRAMANYAM: That's rich considering they just gave $5 trillion in tax breaks to -- to the wealthiest corporations in America. Because, I mean, they say they care about the debt, and yet they give away money to the richest corporations and people in this country like they did over the summer. But yes, let's have a conversation about the cost of healthcare. That is very true that healthcare has skyrocketed over the past four years, and there's bipartisan solutions to this.

[15:20:00]

I put forward many bills on this with Republicans co-sponsoring it. We can do this together. It's just -- it's not happening.

SANCHEZ: There's a -- two things I want to ask you about. But first, does the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer need to step aside as leader?

SUBRAMANYAM: I'll leave that up to the Senate. I mean, I'd say Hakeem Jeffries has navigated this well. He's been forceful in responding to what's happened here, and he's kept the caucus in the House united for the most part. So, I think Hakeem Jeffries is doing a good job. It's really up to the Senate as what they want to do with Chuck Schumer.

SANCHEZ: He does represent the party as a whole, and if Democrats as a whole have decided to cave on this issue, forgive the description of cave, if you object to it, sure. But do you not think that Jeffries could have done more?

SUBRAMANYAM: No, I -- I -- I would say this, you know, we had six months, Republicans had six months, right? And Virginians went to the ballot box last week. They overwhelmingly elected Democrats. But I talked to a lot of those Virginians who came to the ballot box. They weren't happy with Democrats either. And so, it's -- it's a good point that we actually, as a Democratic Party, need to start fighting like it's 2025 and not like it's 2005. We need to start acting like things have changed because they have changed, right? And there's unprecedented things happening in politics.

And so, I think that needs to be an important part of the conversation for our party moving forward. I heard that from voters all last week during the polls and after the election too, that this wasn't just a -- a rubber stamp, you know, excitedness about the Democratic Party. They wanted to see more from the Democrats as well.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, always appreciate you coming in and joining us. Thanks so much.

SUBRAMANYAM: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Still to come this afternoon, America's closest allies stop sharing certain intelligence over concerns about U.S. strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels. We'll explain in just moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:20]

KEILAR: The Navy's most advanced carrier strike group has arrived near Latin America. This is the USS Gerald Ford. It has more than 4,000 sailors. It has dozens of tactical aircraft aboard it. And it relocated from Europe amid tensions with Venezuela. In response to the U.S. military buildup, Venezuela says it is launching what it calls a massive mobilization of military personnel, weapons and equipment.

In the meantime, sources tell CNN exclusively that the United Kingdom is suspending some of its intel sharing with the U.S. because of the Trump administration's deadly strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. The U.S. campaign has killed dozens of people over the last couple of months. Sources telling CNN, British officials believe the U.S. military strikes violate international law.

CNN's Jim Sciutto is with us now on this.

This is a big decision by the U.K.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, I mean, if one of your closest allies thinks you're breaking the law, you know, it's a big deal. And this intel sharing here is something that involves a number of countries. Of course, the -- the British have a big presence in the Caribbean, so they have intelligence resources there. They have things to share. And there's a cooperative body, it's based in Florida, where they share this information to try to stem drug trafficking.

But with the assumption that then you stop, board the ships, arrest the people on board, and then prosecute them, not drop a bomb on their heads, that's the change. And from the U.K. perspective, they began to worry that their particular intel was being used to carry out strikes like this one, where -- where folks are getting killed, and they didn't want to be a part of it.

And it's -- it's interesting to me, in particular, I've been talking to a lot of European officials over the course of -- of the Trump administration about their own concerns about the relationship. And -- and in public, all of them will say the relationship is good, nothing has changed. In private, though, they do have genuine questions about the -- the -- the future of the relationship and the kinds of things where they might disagree on. I mean, one has been Ukraine, although they're more aligned now, but this is a very clear area of disagreement. KEILAR: Yes. No, this is really interesting. And this move by the U.S.

military, this carrier strike group, help us understand why this is so significant.

SCIUTTO: So, you have -- it's -- first of all, it's, you know, this as well as me, biggest carrier in -- in the fleet, the most advanced, the newest. It was in Europe, and it was there for a reason, right? I mean, you -- you have operations the U.S. is supporting in Ukraine. Of course, there's intelligence sharing there. You just had a war in the Middle East, right? And the U.S. carried out strikes on Iran.

There are a lot of reasons to have these capabilities in Europe. So, to move that to what is essentially a drug war, right, off of Venezuela, is -- is -- from -- from a lot of military analysts I speak to, a mismatch in capabilities, right? Because you don't need a carrier with advanced aircraft and all that kind of stuff to strike little drug boats. It has raised concerns about what are the broader ambitions of the Trump administration, right up to and including military operations on the ground in Venezuela. Or is it just meant to be an intimidation move to -- to show, and this appears to be part of the hope, other forces inside Venezuela, hey, abandon Maduro, you know, join our side, you know, join the good guys.

But it's an enormous amount of firepower, even beyond the carrier that the U.S. now has beyond -- has off the coast of Venezuela.

KEILAR: Yes, prompting this cycle kind of escalation ...

SCIUTTO: Yes.

KEILAR: ... that we're watching, which is concerning.

Jim, thank you so much for the great reporting.

SCIUTTO: Thanks.

KEILAR: Really appreciate it.

Still to come, the legal battle over providing food to millions of Americans. We're going to talk with one state attorney general that's taking on the Trump administration over SNAP payments.

[15:29:50]

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