WATCH: Furloughed Air Traffic Controller's Shutdown Question Stops NewsNation Town Hall Cold

"Standing before a panel of lawmakers from both parties, the air traffic controller explained to moderator Chris Cuomo that the government shutdown had left him without pay, forcing him to take a DoorDash delivery job to cover his daughter's tuition. I'm just trying to make ends meet, he said. How long is this going to last? It was a simple question that cut through the noise and laid bare the real-world impact of Washington's stalemate."

"This is people's lives, Smith said, before walking off stage in protest, calling it a break. A government shutdown is going on right now. A man has to work on DoorDash when he's really an air traffic controller that we applauded, he said. But we're up here talking about how much some money is going to cost and the only person that don't have a check coming is him."

"Democrats and Republicans are currently at a standstill with Democrats demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies as part of a continuing resolution to fund the government. Republicans have refused as the shutdown has dragged on for two weeks. The lawmakers' evasive, talking-point-filled answers only underscored his frustration, and that of millions of federal workers left in limbo. The audience fell silent as the disconnect between the stage and the people living with the consequences became impossible to ignore."

A furloughed Dallas air traffic controller revealed that the government shutdown left him unpaid and forced him to take a DoorDash delivery job to cover his daughter's tuition. The controller asked how long the shutdown would last, exposing the direct human cost of the stalemate. Democrats sought an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies as part of a funding resolution, while Republicans refused, prolonging the shutdown for two weeks. Lawmakers offered evasive, talking-point responses that heightened frustration among federal workers. The exchange silenced the audience and prompted commentator Stephen A. Smith to walk off stage in protest.

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