A senior Transportation Security Administration official is urging Senate Democrats to stop playing “political games” with security officers’ paychecks, warning that some airports may have to close if the call-out rate rises as the partial government shutdown continues.
“It’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up and a lot of these officers can’t afford to come in,” acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl told Fox & Friends Tuesday morning.
At least 366 TSA officers have quit the agency since the shutdown started last month, NBC News reported on Monday. Additionally, a TSA spokesperson said the rate of officers calling out of work is now at 10% as of Sunday — over 8% higher than the pre-shutdown figure.
The major airports in New Orleans, Atlanta, and Houston have been particularly affected by the shutdown, which passed the four-week mark over the weekend. Hourslong security lines have been the primary pain for passengers amid the recent airport chaos.
Democrats are refusing to come to a deal with Republicans over funding for the Department of Homeland Security following recent immigration controversies, namely the deaths of two U.S. citizens in officer-involved shootings in Minneapolis two months ago. The minority party wants restrictions placed on federal immigration enforcement, but Republicans are not in favor.
Because of the funding stalemate, TSA officers missed their first full paycheck on Friday. Since then, executives of major airlines have called on Congress to find a solution that allows TSA employees to resume receiving full paychecks.
Stahl echoed the Trump administration’s argument that Senate Democrats are the ones to blame for the prolonged shutdown.
“I talked to one officer this week. She’s a single mother, and she has a special needs child, and she can’t afford to pay for a special needs child’s child care,” he said. “I believe it’s frankly unconscionable that we have Senate Democrats that … they’re holding our folks’ financial livelihood hostage over political games, political partisanship. So, we really need to get back to normal order.”
The last Senate vote on the DHS appropriations bill ended on Thursday with no resolution. The measure needs 60 votes to pass. It remains unclear when the next vote will be held.
In the meantime, TSA leaders’ hands are tied.
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“We’re doing absolutely everything we can. We have a national deployment office force, and we’ve fully depleted that,” Stahl told Fox News. “So, at this point, we’re fully stretched. And so frankly, there’s not much else we can do.”
With no end in sight, the shutdown comes at an inopportune time for air travel. Spring break travel is in full swing, and the United States is preparing to brace for extra air traffic as the FIFA World Cup and the nation’s 250th birthday get closer.
