TSA boss warns of airport shutdowns as funding fight persists
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) faces potential airport shutdowns due to record waiting times and high callout rates among unpaid workers amid a prolonged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding standoff.
- TSA acting head Ha Nguyen McNeill highlighted severe hardships for security officers, including financial struggles and increased assaults, warning that some airports might have to close if the situation continues.
- Lawmakers remain deadlocked over a funding deal that would exclude certain Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, with Democrats demanding stricter immigration enforcement changes and Republicans opposing partial funding.
- The partial government shutdown has led to longer airport security lines, with some travelers waiting over four hours, while FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund is rapidly depleting, threatening ongoing disaster response efforts.
- President Trump has not fully endorsed the latest Senate proposal, complicating efforts to resolve the impasse, as political divisions persist over immigration enforcement and funding priorities.
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