Airport Security Chaos Could Be Over Soon as Senate Passes TSA Funding Deal
The proposal does not include any of Democrats' demands to limit the tactics of federal immigration officers
The U.S. Senate voted early Friday morning on a measure to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but the proposal must get through the House before the partial government shutdown can end.
The Senate bill would fund TSA and the rest of DHS except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, according to the Washington Post. It does not include any of Democrats' demands to limit the tactics of federal immigration officers.
If the legislation is approved by the House, President Donald Trump can sign it into law. It could happen as early as Friday, but Republican House leadership did not indicate if they would put the measure up for a vote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that Republicans are meeting this morning to "decide next steps," per CBS News.
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The effort to reopen these parts of the government come on the 42nd day of the partial shutdown.
In mid-February, Congress failed to pass a measure funding DHS. The lapse in funding has since forced thousands of federal employees, including TSA agents, to work without pay. Across the country, travelers have seen hours-long wait times at airports as staffing shortages continue to affect security checkpoints.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, the DHS said more than 450 TSA officers have left the workforce and thousands more are calling out "because they can't afford necessities like gas, childcare, food or rent."
The efforts come as Trump announced on Thursday he would sign an executive order to pay TSA officers.
On Truth Social, he said he would direct newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to "immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation."
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