Trump signs executive action to pay TSA employees
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump signed an executive action to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees amid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, aiming to alleviate long airport security lines.
- The DHS shutdown, nearing 44 days, has caused significant travel delays and financial hardship for federal workers, with high TSA absenteeism and nearly 500 officers quitting during the period.
- The Senate passed a funding bill covering most of DHS except Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, but House Republicans rejected it, seeking to fund the entire department until May 22 instead.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the Senate deal and plans to pursue a separate funding measure supported by President Trump, while Senate Democrats and House Democrats back the Senate bill to reopen non-controversial DHS parts.
- The funding dispute has exposed a rift between House and Senate Republican leaders, complicating efforts to resolve the shutdown as Senate Democrats maintain the House GOP proposal would be "dead on arrival."
