President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees during the ongoing government shutdown, a move highlighting the growing strain at airports and the political deadlock in Congress.
In a presidential memo released Friday, Trump wrote, “As President of the United States, I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security.” The directive comes as funding for the agency remains stalled, leaving TSA officers to work without pay for more than six weeks.
A person familiar with the situation confirmed that the administration is taking steps to ensure TSA employees are paid as quickly as possible. “Now that this has been signed, admin is working to effectuate as fast as possible. We have directed payroll providers to process paychecks as expeditiously as possible,” the individual said.
A DHS spokesperson added that TSA officers could begin seeing paychecks as soon as Monday.
The memo emphasized the urgency of the action. “If Democrats in the Congress will not act to honor the service of our TSA officers, who are now performing their critical public safety responsibilities without knowing whether they will be able to buy food for their families or pay their rent, then my Administration will take action,” it reads.
The order comes on the 42nd day of the DHS shutdown, which has caused significant disruptions at airports nationwide. Passengers have faced hours-long lines at security checkpoints, with some waiting up to eight hours, leading to widespread frustration and travel delays.
Legislative efforts to fund the TSA have also hit a wall. Early Friday, the Senate passed a late-night bill aimed at funding TSA operations, but the House rejected it, offering instead a broader continuing resolution to fund DHS. Senate Democratic leadership rejected the alternative measure, leaving lawmakers deadlocked.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Friday criticized the Senate’s approach and emphasized that his chamber would not approve the bill in its current form. “This gambit that was done last night is a joke. I’m quite convinced that it can’t be that every Senate Republican read the language of this bill,” Johnson said. He noted that the Senate measure provided no funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement or border security operations. “We’re not doing that,” he said. “And it is unconscionable to me that the Democrats would force some sort of negotiation at 3 o’clock in the morning.”
Johnson is proposing a stopgap measure to fund the entire DHS for eight weeks, which would extend the current shutdown but provide funding across all department operations. The Speaker said he intends to hold a vote “as soon as possible” on the continuing resolution, which would mark the fourth time the House has passed funding for the full department.
The shutdown has placed front-line TSA officers in a difficult position, requiring them to work long hours under stressful conditions without guaranteed pay. Security checkpoint delays have affected airports of all sizes, and travelers have taken to social media to report chaotic conditions and missed flights. The move by Trump to pay TSA employees directly may temporarily ease the strain, but the broader funding impasse remains unresolved.
This latest action underscores the increasing pressure on lawmakers to reach a compromise. TSA workers and travelers alike continue to feel the effects of the political stalemate, which has persisted for more than six weeks, highlighting both the operational challenges of a partially shuttered DHS and the human impact on federal employees.
As Congress continues negotiations, the Trump administration has signaled a willingness to take executive action in situations it deems critical to national security, raising questions about what other federal services might be affected if the shutdown continues. For now, TSA officers can expect relief in the form of paychecks beginning Monday, even as lawmakers work to determine the long-term resolution for the department.
