TSA Workers Face Missed Paychecks as Democrats Maintain Position on DHS Funding

More than 60,000 TSA agents face looming payless workdays as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown enters its third week, with no immediate resolution in sight. Unlike the previous government shutdown when the White House managed to shift funding to ensure military service members received paychecks, TSA workers won’t get the same protection.

TSA employees are set to receive partial paychecks this week, covering only work performed before funding expired earlier this month. After that, they won’t see another paycheck until Congress reaches a deal to fund the agency—a prospect that appears increasingly distant as negotiations stall.

“I mean, these are people who have jobs and have commitments and families,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). “And it’s going to be really unfortunate if we get to a point where people aren’t getting paid because the Democrats continue to insist on changes to things that are just not feasible or tenable.”

A White House official explained that during the previous 43-day shutdown, the administration was able to transfer funding “to cover certain employees at DHS that were funded by the bill—namely law enforcement and active-duty military such as USCG.” However, the official clarified that “TSA has not been part of that, as they have a different funding stream from these other agencies.”

The situation creates particular concern for air travel across the nation. During the previous shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—flight cancellations mounted and airport delays increased dramatically as unpaid TSA agents called out sick or quit. Many Republican lawmakers believe similar disruptions could become a turning point in the current impasse.

“When people start missing paychecks, and you start having disruptions in travel and that sort of thing, it’s going to get more and more painful,” Thune noted. “So it’d be nice to fix this before and to avoid all that, but we’ve got to have a partner that actually wants to make a deal.”

The partisan standoff shows little sign of resolution. The White House and Senate Democrats led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) remain deeply divided over funding compromises for DHS. Both sides have rejected multiple proposals over the past two weeks.

Senate Democrats characterize the negotiations as completely stalled, placing responsibility for further discussions on the Trump administration and Republicans. “We told them what our priorities were, they answered with a very, very weak, limited response,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “And we said, ‘No, this is what our requests were. We made a few changes,’ nothing back.”

When asked if the White House was negotiating in good faith, Murray responded, “Not yet.”

Senate Republicans maintain that informal discussions are occurring among members. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) expressed hope that she could persuade enough Senate Democrats to reach an agreement ensuring TSA agents wouldn’t go without pay indefinitely. “I am working on talking to people,” Britt said.

The shutdown’s impact extends beyond TSA to other DHS agencies. However, the visible effects of understaffed security checkpoints at airports nationwide could become the most noticeable consequence for the general public, potentially increasing pressure on lawmakers to reach a compromise.

For now, TSA employees find themselves in a precarious position—required to work to maintain national transportation security but uncertain when they’ll receive their next paycheck. The situation highlights the broader challenges facing essential federal workers during government funding disputes, where their livelihoods become collateral damage in partisan battles.

As the shutdown continues with no clear resolution timeline, travelers are advised to prepare for possible delays and disruptions at airports in the coming weeks if TSA staffing levels diminish due to financial hardship among unpaid workers.