It’s another day in Washington and, surprise, the government shutdown saga continues, or as some might call it, “Groundhog Day: Political Edition.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has found himself issuing a not-so-pleasant warning to all the merry holiday travelers. Imagine the busiest travel season, where already stressed passengers must face an added thrill: looming flight delays and cancellations. Fun for the whole family, right?

The folks who keep the planes from playing bumper cars in the sky, also known as air traffic controllers, are not singing “Jingle Bells” right now. With about 13,000 of them missing paychecks, the stress levels are higher than a passenger who gets the middle seat in coach. Duffy’s trying to be the calm captain here, emphasizing safety over punctuality, which is what you’d expect from someone whose credibility hinges on planes not falling out of the sky.

Now, why are things in such a tailspin? Blame it on Capitol Hill gridlock, with politicians doing what they do best—absolutely nothing to solve the real issues. There’s a touching scene over in the Senate, where a Republican bill to ensure essential workers get paid went the way of the dodo. But Senator Ted Cruz is suiting up for the sequel, hoping his bill focused solely on air traffic controllers might break through the noise.

Now, as moms and dads, trying to wrangle their kids and luggage without losing their sanity, Secretary Duffy has spent quality time touring air traffic control towers. He reports that many of the control tower folks are frustrated to the point of considering side gigs like Uber or, who knows, maybe even picking up some late-night DoorDash runs. After all, someone has to bring home the bacon when paychecks stop rolling in.

And if you think the political stage can’t get any messier, let’s throw California’s Prop 50 into the mix, with its good ol’ gerrymandering hullabaloo. It’s a classic case of politicians playing jigsaw with districts to color them blue. Even former President Obama has chimed in, basking in the irony of a democratic system where those in power get to manipulate boundaries as they please. Because what better way to promote fair representation than by shaping regions like a Rorschach test?

So here we are, with politics that could very well challenge the patience of a saint, or at least anyone stuck in an airport terminal with nothing but overpriced snacks. The gridlock prevails, much like a stubborn cold, leaving many Americans yearning for some semblance of progress, or at the very least, the sweet sound of a flight announcement that says “departing on time.”