Washington (United States) (AFP) – US airport security officers missed their first full paycheck Friday as a partial funding shutdown of the government approached the one-month mark, with no breakthrough in a congressional standoff that is beginning to disrupt travel across the country. The lapse in funding is forcing thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff to work without pay as spring travel picks up, raising fears of staffing shortages, longer security lines and flight delays. TSA officers — the army of workers who screen passengers, baggage and cargo — received only partial pay two weeks ago.
Friday’s missed payment represents the first full check lost since the shutdown began, and unions and government officials warn the financial strain is pushing some workers to quit or seek other jobs. More than 300 TSA employees have already left the agency since the shutdown began on February 14, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, while US media reported unscheduled absences had more than doubled. Airports in several cities have warned passengers to arrive hours earlier than usual because of long security lines. Some officers are already taking on second jobs or relying on donations, union officials say, while several major airports are collecting gift cards and stocking food pantries for TSA staff struggling without pay during the travel-heavy spring break season.
“Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative,” Johnny Jones, a Dallas-based official in government workers’ union AFGE, told USA TODAY. “No funds for daycare, no funds for food. They just want to know why the hell they can’t get paid when we have money to shoot missiles into other countries.” The shutdown stems from a dispute over funding for the DHS, the only federal department still without an approved budget after Congress completed most of its spending bills last year.
Democrats say they will not support funding immigration enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection without reforms to their operations. Republicans say those demands are unacceptable and accuse Democrats of refusing to negotiate. The stalemate has hardened in the Senate, where Democrats have repeatedly blocked legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House to fund the department. Republicans, in turn, rejected a Democratic proposal that would fund other DHS agencies while leaving immigration enforcement unresolved.
“Thanks to the Democrats’ reckless shutdown, security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are stretching OUT THE DOOR,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement about long lines at the Texas hub. “The Democrats’ political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our (TSA) officers.” The shutdown is now the third in recent months to affect DHS employees. Despite the growing disruption, negotiators appear no closer to a compromise. The White House says Democrats are responsible for the impasse, while Democrats argue the administration has refused to make meaningful changes to immigration enforcement policies.
Airports and travel groups warn that the impact could intensify if the shutdown drags on, particularly as the busy summer travel season approaches. Industry officials say the longer the stalemate lasts, the greater the risk that exhausted workers will leave, potentially straining airport security operations nationwide. “Democrats have tried — six separate times — to pass simple bills to keep these critical parts of DHS running while negotiations continue,” Senate Democratic Minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “Six times Republicans came to the floor and blocked them. TSA officers shouldn’t miss paychecks, disaster relief shouldn’t be left hanging, and Americans’ safety shouldn’t be collateral damage in a political standoff Republicans created.”
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