Following Hours-Long Airport Security Lines, Rep. Pettersen Calls for TSA Workers to Be Paid During DHS Shutdown

Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) called on Congress to pass legislation to ensure Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) officers are paid during government shutdowns following reports of hours-long security lines across the country this weekend.

Air travelers experienced significant delays as TSA staffing shortages worsened during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. TSA officers are considered essential personnel and are required to continue working without pay. Republicans in Congress still refuse to work with Democrats to implement long-overdue guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as TSA workers prepare to miss their first full paycheck this week.

"Right now, TSA officers are being forced to work without a paycheck because Republicans would rather give Donald Trump a blank check to let ICE terrorize immigrants and kill American citizens in our streets instead of agreeing to necessary guardrails that a wide swath of people support," said Pettersen. "As a result, we're seeing hours-long security lines at airports across the country. That means delays and missed flights for travelers and even more strain on the TSA workers responsible for keeping our airports safe. If Republicans won't work with us to rein in ICE's lawless operations, Congress must at the very least pass legislation to ensure these essential workers are paid."

Rep. Pettersen is a co-sponsor of the Keep Air Travel Safe Act, legislation that would ensure TSA continues to receive funding during any government shutdown by directing funds previously provided to ICE under Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" to pay TSA workers. Additionally, Pettersen supports legislation to fund all agencies and offices - including TSA and FEMA - within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) except for ICE and CBP.