Security wait times at some U.S. airports remain high and could get longer this weekend as more TSA agents call out of work or resign.
According to internal TSA statistics obtained by CBS News, over 300 employees have left the agency since the partial government shutdown began in February.
A political impasse in Congress is blocking funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which TSA is part of. But because airport security agents are considered essential, they must continue to report to work, even if they are not getting paid.
TSA employees received partial pay in late February and will miss their first full paycheck this week.
As in past shutdowns, TSA agents have been calling out in higher numbers than usual. CBS News found that absences have climbed into the double-digit percentages at some airports. The unscheduled call-out rate overall has risen to an average of 6% during the shutdown, compared to 2% normally.
With fewer agents available at checkpoints, screenings move slower, resulting in the long lines seen at airports such as Houston Hobby, Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, last weekend. Those backups mostly eased by mid-week, but there are still trouble spots. On Friday morning, KXAN-TV reported that lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport spilled out into the parking lot.
The official DHS X account called attention to the situation in Austin in a post on Friday and laid the blame on Democrats, who they said are playing “political games” and endangering spring break travel. Democratic lawmakers have said they want more oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents before they agree to a funding deal.
Wait times could grow as more students and families fly for spring break. Many universities and schools have their spring break scheduled in March and April.
