- The Senate passed legislation to fund TSA workers.
- AHLA urged the House to send the bill to the President.
- Officials warn TSA staffing may take days or weeks to normalize.
THE U.S. SENATE passed legislation to release funds for Transportation Security Administration workers who went five weeks without pay amid a White House–Congress dispute over immigration funding. The bill now moves to the House for final consideration.
Friday’s bill, which passed in a rare overnight vote, provides funds for most of the Department of Homeland Security, including the TSA and the US Coast Guard, but withholds funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as parts of Customs and Border Protection, according to CNN.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, welcomed the funding package, passed by unanimous consent, but said that it “could’ve been accomplished weeks ago if Republicans hadn’t stood in the way.”
“Democrats held firm in our opposition that Donald Trump’s rogue and deadly militia should not get more funding without serious reforms and we will continue to fight for those reforms,” he said, according to Newsweek.
DHS funding lapsed on Feb. 13 after Congress failed to agree on immigration enforcement reforms. Democrats initially blocked the funds in response to President Trump’s deployment of federal agents to mainly Democratic-run cities.
House Speaker Mike Johnson faces pressure from some conservatives to make changes before the measure reaches the House floor and GOP leaders have not indicated a plan to pass it, according to CNN. The TSA screens millions of passengers daily and is key to U.S. aviation security.
DHS said hundreds of officers have left the agency since the shutdown began.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association praised the Senate’s action to end the government shutdown and urged the House to send the measure to the President.
"For far too long, TSA employees have been forced to work without pay, placing an unfair burden on these essential workers and straining the entire travel ecosystem,” said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA president and CEO. “The resulting long security lines at airports have caused thousands of missed flights and trip disruptions, underscoring the broader impact on travelers and businesses alike. We now urge the House to act swiftly and for President Trump to sign this measure into law without delay. Our TSA workforce and the millions of travelers and businesses who rely on them cannot afford to wait any longer.”
Even if the shutdown ends, union officials warn it could take days or weeks for TSA staffing to return to normal, so long security lines at some US airports would not disappear immediately, CNN reported.
Air travel across the U.S. has been disrupted as a government shutdown halted airport operations. TSA officers are working without pay, causing staffing shortages and long lines.
Trump deployed ICE agents to assist TSA officers at airports starting Monday.
