The looming specter of a government shutdown could spell delays for holiday travelers this year. A shutdown could also translate to $1 billion per week in losses to the American travel economy, according to the U.S. Travel Association. People opting to travel by car could also face longer trips, even though the nation’s highways aren’t immediately affected by a government shutdown in any meaningful way. AAA said it projected that roughly 119 million people would trek 50 miles or more from home during the holidays, from Dec. 21 until Jan. 1 — an increase of about 3 million travelers from a year before. “This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement this month.

---

Persons: isn’t, David P, Pekoske, Joe Biden’s, callouts, we’re, ” Stacey Barber Organizations: Transportation Security, U.S . Travel Association, The, Federal Aviation Administration, TSA, Dallas, Fort Worth International Airport, Tourism Economic, Rail, Amtrak, Federal Railroad Administration, of Railroad Safety, AAA, AAA Travel Locations: U.S, aren’t