Trump Pledges to Expedite TSA Officers’ Pay Amid Prolonged Shutdown
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he will sign an order to ensure Transportation Security Administration officers receive back pay. He said he would direct newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to act “immediately” to address what he called an emergency at airports.
The White House has not specified where money for the payments will come from. Officials did not provide a dollar amount or a time frame for the directive.
Airport operations and staffing
TSA workers missed their first full paychecks in mid-March. Many employees called out of work as a result.
National callout rates exceeded 11 percent. Some airports reported callout rates above 40 percent. These staffing gaps produced wait times of more than four hours at certain terminals.
Earlier this week, the White House deployed ICE agents to assist at airports. ICE personnel have continued to receive pay because of funding from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed last year.
Legislative fights and a failed Senate vote
The Senate again failed to advance a House-passed measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security for a year. The vote fell 53-47, short of the 60 votes needed to move forward.
Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat to support the bill. Many Senate Democrats oppose the House measure because they seek changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy.
Those demands followed concerns about federal law enforcement actions in Minneapolis and the deaths of two U.S. citizens there earlier this year.
Senate reactions and schedule
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the president’s action removes immediate pressure. He called it a short-term fix after 41 days of the funding lapse.
The Senate is scheduled to leave Friday for a two-week recess. Thune said he may decide whether lawmakers stay if no funding deal emerges.
Administration statements and political responses
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said officials are discussing several ideas to ease airport congestion. She added that the simplest way to pay TSA is to fund DHS through Congress.
Sen. John Kennedy had pushed a measure to fund only TSA. Leavitt’s comments appeared to slow that effort.
Republicans discussed administrative options to deliver pay between votes. Sen. Susan Collins noted the president has authority that could be used in emergencies.
Democratic criticism
Some Democrats said the president could have acted earlier. Rep. Delia Ramirez argued TSA and other federal workers should not have missed paychecks.
Sen. Jeff Merkley criticized Republicans for blocking legislative fixes. He accused the administration of delaying relief and then claiming credit.
Trump pledged to expedite pay for TSA officers during the prolonged shutdown. Questions remain about funding sources and how long the fix will last.
