TSA Agents Receive Back Pay as DHS Shutdown Continues
Most TSA agents received retroactive pay after roughly 44–45 days of the partial DHS shutdown, but funding and staffing problems persist as Congress remains in recess.
Business InsiderTSA agents are finally getting some back pay, DHS says
CBS NewsTSA officer absence levels still elevated at some airports, even as workers begin to receive back pay
CBS NewsDHS shutdown set to stretch on with Congress on 2-week break
PBS NewsHourTSA workers finally paid after 44 days, but challenges continue
Overview
Most TSA agents received retroactive pay on Monday covering pay periods 4 and 5, DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis said.
The partial DHS shutdown has stretched roughly 44 to 45 days and left roughly 50,000 TSA officers working without pay, contributing to long airport lines and elevated absences, officials said.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing DHS to pay TSA workers and is urging Congress to cut short its two-week recess to fund the department, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Nationwide TSA call-outs were 10.6% on Sunday, down from a 12.4% peak on March 27, while Baltimore/Washington International reported a 38.5% call-out rate and George Bush Intercontinental 36.4%, officials said.
Lawmakers are scheduled to be out for recess until mid-April, with neither chamber set to return until the week of April 13, leaving DHS funding unresolved until Congress reaches a compromise, aides and lawmakers said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this story neutrally, attributing partisan positions to named officials and using direct quotes for charged claims. They balance White House statements, Republican leadership, and Democratic criticism, and supply factual context (shutdown length, TSA pay actions, airport disruptions), avoiding editorialized language beyond cited source remarks.