The Allied Pilots Association has urged Congress to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown and pay TSA workers, warning of risks to aviation security. The statement highlights rising TSA officer absences and long security lines nationwide. Industry leaders echo concerns over unpaid staff and homeland safety.
Over a month into the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security, the Allied Pilots Association, the largest independent pilots union in the United States, issued a statement calling for immediate action. President First Officer Nick Silva said, “Congress must act immediately to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown and ensure TSA officers are paid.” He added, “These dedicated professionals show up every day to protect the traveling public and maintain the safety of our National Airspace System. Forcing them to work without pay is unsustainable and puts both efficiency and security at risk.” Silva emphasized, “Supporting TSA is essential to keeping our aviation system safe, reliable, and moving.” This follows a similar appeal from Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu on March 9. Sununu noted, “More than 2.7 million people cleared through TSA yesterday, but too many had to wait in extraordinarily long—and painfully slow—lines at checkpoints. It’s unacceptable to have wait times of 2 or 3 hours. And it’s unacceptable that TSA officers will have $0 in their paychecks this week.” He urged, “It’s day 24 of this shutdown, and it is past time for Congress to get to the table and reach an agreement that reopens DHS. Congress, do your job!” TSA reports show nationwide callout rates averaging 6% during the shutdown, peaking at 9% on February 23 and 8% on March 6, compared to 2% beforehand. More than 300 officers have quit, with half at Houston's Hobby Airport absent on some days, per CBS News. Officers face hardships, including eviction risks, medical copays for cancer patients, and some sleeping in cars at airports to cut costs. The Department of Homeland Security attributes absences partly to second jobs, noting this as the third shutdown in 15 months. Over 100,000 DHS workers missed paychecks last week, totaling about $1 billion monthly in unpaid wages and $2.5 billion in losses so far, according to the White House. Additionally, 80% of the Office of Intelligence & Analysis staff are unpaid while tracking terrorism threats. A DHS spokesman stated, “Democrats are shamelessly playing politics with national security,” and stressed sharing intelligence for events like America 250 and the World Cup.
