Travel Chaos Looms as TSA Officers Endure Payless Work Amid Government Shutdown
As travelers flock to airports for spring break, many are finding themselves caught in long security lines and tumultuous travel plans. This upheaval is a direct consequence of the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has left TSA officers working without pay.
Travelers and staff walk through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Friday. U.S. Transportation Security Administration security officers missed their first full paycheck Friday as a partial funding shutdown of the government approached the one-month mark.
Annabelle Gordon/AFP via Getty Images
Johnny Jones, a TSA officer at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, was among those affected by the shutdown. As the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 100, which represents around 45,000 TSA workers, he expressed concern over the officers’ plight, stating, “I won’t be traveling anywhere, but I’ll be helping out getting people to where they’re going.”
Since February 14, funding for the Department of Homeland Security has been halted, leaving TSA officers without pay. Many officers are struggling to make ends meet, missing parts of one paycheck and receiving no money in their most recent paycheck. “They’re panicking, they’re scared, they’re afraid. And they don’t know what they’re going to do,” Jones explained, noting that most TSA employees live paycheck to paycheck.
Across major airports in cities such as Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans, passengers are experiencing lengthy security wait times due to an increase in TSA officers calling out sick. With the cost of travel rising, some officers have had to take on additional jobs to cover expenses. Suzette, a security officer in Atlanta, noted, “The officers can’t afford to come to work. The gas is expensive right now.”
TSA staff members at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas unload donated lunches from MGM Resorts on Wednesday as a partial government shutdown continues, and workers stopped receiving paychecks.
Ty ONeil/AP
Political wrangling has exacerbated the situation, with both parties blaming each other for the shutdown. Democrats have withheld DHS funding, demanding changes to how immigration officers operate following the fatal shooting of two American citizens in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, efforts to pass bills funding TSA and DHS have been blocked by Republicans.
The financial strain on TSA workers is palpable, with over 100,000 DHS employees missing their first full paycheck. Additionally, security fees collected from passengers continue to fund the TSA’s budget, even though the funds are not reaching the workers’ bank accounts. Former TSA administrator John Pistole explains, “That fee has underwritten part of the TSA budget for all those years.”
The impact of the shutdown is also affecting the TSA’s workforce, with over 1,300 officers resigning since October of last year. As the shutdown continues, travel industry leaders like Geoff Freeman, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, warn of the unpredictability it creates for passengers, saying, “Travelers should be concerned that Congress has created unpredictability in the system.”
Amid this turmoil, the Trump administration has moved to reopen the Global Entry program for expedited processing of pre-approved travelers, while President Trump announced a leadership change at DHS, proposing Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem. This has sparked hope for a resolution, but as Freeman notes, “The politics of the shutdown are complicated,” meaning the end is not yet in sight.
NPR’s Milton Guevara contributed reporting.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
