Airline executives are urging Congress to end a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse that began February 14, warning that unpaid TSA officers and rising staffing disruptions are contributing to long checkpoint lines as spring break travel ramps up.
The Department of Homeland Security has been operating under a funding lapse since February 14, driven by a political dispute tied to immigration enforcement policy, with agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) among those affected.
A letter to Congress signed by the CEOs of Alaska Air Group, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue, FedEx and UPS, as well as Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu, called for an end to the shutdown. The trade group said the letter was first published by The Washington Post, and it was subsequently circulated publicly by Airlines for America.
In the letter, the executives wrote that Americans are “tired of long lines at airports, travel delays and flight cancellations caused by shutdown after shutdown,” adding that air travel has become “the political football” in the standoff and that the situation is “solvable.” The letter also said TSA officers “just received $0 paychecks,” calling that “simply unacceptable,” and warning that it is difficult to cover basic expenses without pay.
The signatories said travelers have reported checkpoint wait times of two, three and even four hours, and that airlines have sought to limit disruption by holding flights for late passengers and rebooking others.
Separately, internal TSA statistics obtained by CBS News indicated that unscheduled absences among frontline TSA officers have increased during the shutdown and that more than 300 TSA employees have left the agency since the funding lapse began. The Daily Wire reported that the White House confirmed the “300” figure to it, though the White House statement itself was not published.
Denver International Airport has also described steps to support federal workers affected by shutdown-related pay disruptions, including accepting monetary donations and merchant gift cards for essential items.
On Capitol Hill, DHS funding has repeatedly stalled. A recent procedural vote on a DHS funding bill fell short of the votes needed to advance in the Senate, leaving the impasse unresolved.
The shutdown has prompted continued partisan blame. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) has accused Democrats of prolonging the lapse, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has argued Republicans are blocking funding for DHS agencies including TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and cybersecurity operations.
