Airport Disruptions to Worsen as DHS Funding Fight Drags On, Transportation Secretary Warns

Airline and transportation officials are warning that the nation could face major airport disruptions unless Congress reaches an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by this time next week.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on March 20 renewed his warning that a prolonged partial government shutdown could trigger widespread chaos at airports, as more Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have been calling out of work after missing paychecks.

“If a deal isn’t cut, you’re ⁠going to see what’s happening today look like child’s play,” Duffy told CNN.

Earlier in the week, he had warned that smaller airports could begin shutting down if staffing shortages worsen.

The shutdown entered its 36th day on March 21, and TSA officers are set to miss a second full paycheck on March 27, Duffy said.

The growing absenteeism has already begun to strain airport operations. According to DHS, TSA absences nationwide eased slightly on March 19 to 9.8 percent, down from 10.2 percent on March 18, but remained elevated at several major airports.

Callout rates reached 32 percent in Atlanta, 29 percent at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, 27 percent in New Orleans, 23 percent at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and more than 30 percent at both Houston airports, the DHS said.

DHS data also showed that TSA officers on March 18 called out at five times the rate of a typical day. The department said TSA’s average callout rate was normally below 2 percent but has climbed above 6 percent during the shutdown.

Staffing shortages have led to longer security lines and increased wait times at airports, said a coalition of airlines, hotel chains, and other travel organizations, noting that the prolonged shutdown is putting both travelers and the broader transportation system at risk.

“The security of travelers and the country is at stake,” the coalition, led by the U.S. Travel Association, said in a joint letter to congressional leaders. “This situation is placing increasing strain on the frontline workforce responsible for protecting millions of travelers.”

The shutdown has become a political standoff, with Democrats and Republicans blaming each other for the impasse. Democrats have sought to attach limits on immigration enforcement tactics to DHS funding legislation, including proposals to bar federal agents from wearing masks, require them to display identification, and restrict where arrests can be made. Republicans have accused Democrats of endangering public safety by linking DHS funding to those demands.

On March 20, a bill to fund the DHS failed to advance in the Senate after Democrats withheld the votes needed to move the measure toward final passage. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would offer an alternative proposal on March 21 to fund only the TSA.

Meanwhile, House Democrats are backing a discharge petition that would force the House to consider legislation from Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) to fund the TSA and other DHS agencies while, like Schumer’s proposal, excluding funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Office of the Secretary.

Reuters contributed to this report.