2 months ago
Donald Trump signed an executive bid Friday instructing nan Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to instantly salary Transportation Security Administration agents arsenic nan partial shutdown drags on.
Negotiations connected Capitol Hill stay stalled aft House Republicans rejected a Senate‑passed woody to money cardinal DHS subagencies, including nan TSA. After first announcing on Truth Social that he would salary much than 60,000 airdrome information workers – without explaining wherever nan money would travel from – nan president issued nan order.
“This is an unprecedented emergency situation,” Trump said successful a memorandum to Markwayne Mullin, nan DHS secretary, and Russell Vought, nan Office of Management and Budget director. He again blamed Democrats’ “reckless determination to prioritize criminal forbidden aliens complete American citizens” for nan 42‑day shutdown.
“If Democrats successful nan Congress will not enactment to grant nan work of our TSA officers … past my management will return action,” nan president added.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed to nan Guardian that nan TSA has “immediately begun nan process of paying its workforce”, and said officers could spot paychecks arsenic early arsenic 30 March. The section did not respond to questions astir what costs are being used.
TSA agents person gone without salary for much than a month, starring to nationwide staffing shortages and hours‑long airdrome lines. The acting TSA main has described nan business arsenic producing nan “highest hold times successful TSA history”, and nan management this week deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports, successful what Trump said was an effort to assist.
Almost 500 TSA officers person discontinue since past month, and nan six‑week impasse has had a devastating effect connected those who remain. By Friday, labor were expected to person missed $1bn successful paychecks, acting administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told Congress, adding: “Many successful our workforce person missed measure payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities unopen off, mislaid their childcare, defaulted connected loans, damaged their in installments line, and drained their status savings.”
