We’re still wondering if some U.S. Senate Democrats are willing to set aside politics long enough to vote with Republicans to reopen government — and avoid chaos in air travel. We realize the Senate minority in Washington wants concessions — as of Friday, they sought a one-year extension of health-care tax credits — but first things first. Debate policy later.

Flights are being canceled at both Denver and Colorado Springs airports. Air-traffic controllers at Colorado airports are strained to their limits and have gone without pay for weeks. It all puts air travel at risk — and that’s only one casualty of the collateral damage created by the federal government’s now-longest-ever, 40-day shutdown that began Oct. 1.

Many essential federal functions have been on hold too long already. Assorted services have been idled or limited, and federal employees are going unpaid. From national parks to small-business loans, operations are largely stalled. Environmental inspections by federal regulators are being delayed. Benefits verification and card issuance for Social Security and Medicare have been halted. Proceedings in immigration courts are suspended. At airports, Transportation Security Administration agents as well as air-traffic controllers, though still at work, aren’t drawing paychecks, and some haven’t been reporting for duty.

By the end of last week, the Federal Aviation Administration had ordered cutbacks on commercial flights to reduce the burden on air-traffic controllers and other airport operations. As of Friday, more than a hundred flights had been canceled at Denver International Airport — the nation’s third busiest — and DIA anchor United Airlines’ cancellations had ripple effects.

Those included short, connector flights to Colorado Springs. Of the 115 canceled United flights impacting Denver, 22 of them were connections to Colorado Springs.

The Gazette reported Friday the restrictions could worsen; U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the FAA may reduce the number of flights by up to 20% from the current 10% if the shutdown lingers longer.

Only five Senate Democrats are needed to cross over and vote with majority Republicans — it takes a total of 60 votes — to end a Democratic filibuster that is keeping the federal government closed. And Colorado’s two senators could make a big difference. 

We’ll ask again: Will Colorado’s Democratic U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper supply two of those needed votes to reopen government? 

We urge them to look past the partisan theatrics staged around Colorado and across the country to take the heat off their fellow Senate Democrats, which only encourages them to dig in their heels. Whatever substantive policy differences Congressional Democrats have with Republicans and the White House, over health care spending or anything else, can wait.

Right now, our state and nation need to get moving again, and Bennet and Hickenlooper could lead the way. They would be doing a great service to the 55,000-plus federal employees in Colorado who have gone weeks without pay, as well as the countless other Coloradans — taxpayers and beneficiaries alike — who need Uncle Sam back on the job.