FAA workers grapple with possible shutdown deal as officials try to navigate upcoming holiday travel rush

Washington (CNN) — Atlanta mom Amanda James’ heart shattered when her soon-to-be 11-year-old uttered the words: “Mom, I don’t have to have a birthday party this year.”

Her son knew both James, a Federal Aviation Administration airway transportation systems specialist and mother of four, and her husband, an air traffic controller, weren’t receiving paychecks during the government shutdown.