Trump signs order to pay TSA employees after Congress fails to agree on DHS funding President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration employees, aiming to address the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. The move came after a failed attempt by Congress to reach a funding agreement for the agency, which has left thousands of federal workers without pay and caused widespread disruptions at U.S. airports. In a memo authorizing the payments, Trump described the situation as an “emergency” that threatens national security. He stated that the administration would use funds “with a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations” to cover the employees’ salaries. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed that TSA workers could begin receiving paychecks as early as Monday. However, the action does not resolve the broader funding crisis for DHS, which has been in a shutdown since late October, extending to 44 days by Sunday—surpassing the previous record of 43 days set last fall. The shutdown has led to severe delays at major airports, with long security lines and warnings of potential closures. TSA workers, many of whom have missed paychecks, have been increasingly absent from duty. According to DHS data, over 11.8% of TSA employees missed work on Thursday, translating to more than 3,450 callouts. Nearly 500 of the agency’s 50,000 transportation security officers have quit during the shutdown, exacerbating staffing shortages. Congressional efforts to fund DHS have stalled, with the House and Senate passing vastly different bills.#president_donald_trump #transportation_security_administration #senate_majority_leader_john_thune #house_speaker_mike_johnson #homeland_security_secretary_markwayne_mullin
Trump has ordered TSA workers be paid, regardless of what Congress does. Here’s what we know President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Friday directing the Department of Homeland Security to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration employees, even as Congress remains deadlocked over funding for the agency. The move comes amid a prolonged government shutdown that has left thousands of TSA workers without pay for over a month, causing severe disruptions at airports nationwide. The president’s directive, outlined in a statement, instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to use funds “with a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations” to compensate employees for the pay they would have received had the agency not been shut down. While the exact mechanism for funding remains unclear, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that TSA workers could begin receiving back pay as early as Monday, March 30. The shutdown, which began on February 14, has left approximately 61,000 TSA employees without their second full paycheck. The crisis has led to widespread staffing shortages, with thousands of officers calling in sick and over 500 resigning. This has resulted in massive delays at airports, particularly in cities like Atlanta and Houston, where travelers have faced hours-long waits at security checkpoints. The funding for TSA employees appears to be drawn from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, a domestic policy package signed by Trump in 2025. The legislation allocated $10 billion to DHS for border security initiatives, though TSA itself is not explicitly mentioned in the law.#president_donald_trump #department_of_homeland_security #american_federation_of_government_employees #transportation_security_administration #house_speaker_mike_johnson
