Developments in the ongoing struggle to fund the TSA came fast Thursday and early Friday as President Donald Trump pledged to unilaterally authorize pay for agents and the U.S. Senate passed a bill funding most of the Department of Homeland Security.
Though neither action on its own ends the 41-day-long partial government shutdown, they represent the most substantial progress on the issue in weeks, and could lay the groundwork for a final compromise that would fully fund the TSA and return security operations at U.S. airports to something resembling normalcy.
Long lines at security checkpoints, some exceeding four hours, have become a source of national frustration, and there is growing pressure on Congress to find a solution. Democrats and some Republicans have held up funding to DHS in an attempt to push through reforms of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies, which they characterize as heavy-handed and possibly illegal.
Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday to again blame Democrats for the situation and announce a new strategy to break the impasse.
“I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports,” the president wrote. “It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!”
Trump did not explain how his plan will work, though it is possible that DHS could reallocate money or draw on some type of emergency funding.
Hours later, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that would restore funding for all of DHS, including the TSA, except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and part of Customs and Border Protection.
Congress already set aside funding for ICE and CBP through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, and as a result employees with those agencies have continued to be paid despite the partial shutdown.
The funding battle now moves to the House of Representatives. The chamber could pass a version of the Senate’s legislation, or come up with its own proposed solution.
It was not clear if a vote in the House would take place at some point on Friday.
According to NBC News, some House Republicans are strongly opposed to the compromise worked out by the Senate. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is expected to present a short-term bill that would fund all of DHS, including ICE and CBP, for 60 days.
