Trump Signs Order to Pay TSA Workers Without Shutting Down DHS in Sight
WASHINGTON – With the sudden shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump signed an order on Friday, March 27, to restore federal funds to pay airport security personnel by declaring an “unprecedented emergency.”
The White House said it will “use funds that have a reasonable and reasonable connection to TSA operations to provide TSA employees with the compensation and benefits that would otherwise be available to them if it were not for the Democrat-led shutdown of DHS,” according to a statement of the decision.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin began the process of paying TSA workers as soon as Trump signed the memo, the agency said in a statement to USA TODAY. Unlike previous shutdowns, TSA workers should begin receiving paychecks as early as March 30, instead of being paid after the issue is resolved.
The executive action, which has already raised legal questions, was another move by the White House in Trump’s second term to completely override Congress’s powers to fund the fund amid political tensions. It comes after House Republicans rejected a deal passed by the Senate unanimously to fund all DHS deportation operations.
The rejection of the agreement, which was reached in the morning, underlined the great division between the House and the Senate Republicans, who worked all night with the Democrats to try to end the crisis before the planned two-week recess.
“This performance last night is a joke,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on March 27.
Speaking to Fox News on Friday, President Trump said the Senate consensus was “not good.” He urged Senate Republicans, who thought the president would back his deal, instead needed to end the Senate’s 60-vote limit known as a filibuster.
“Now what they have to do is to end the filibuster,” he said. “But you have three or four Republicans who are not doing the right thing.”
TSA Employees Relax Amid Uncertainty
Across the country, TSA officials wanted to consolidate time cards so workers could get paid as soon as next week. However, it was not clear to the lower level workers whether they would get paid if they moved on.
“Let’s see if this actually shows up in our bank accounts next week,” said Angela Grana, a Colorado-based regional vice president representing TSA workers at 38 airports across the Rockies. “If it’s so easy to do this, why haven’t they done this before?
In a message to employees, TSA leaders thanked employees for their efforts: “We recognize the challenges you have faced and thank you for your commitment, patience, and dedication to our work and our mission to keep the public safe.”
Employees Hope to Receive Bonuses After Staying on the Job
Grana said he is waiting to see how many TSA workers arrive for work at airports that have seen long lines. During the 43-day shutdown last year, TSA employees who remained on the job received $10,000 in bonuses, and Grana said he hopes the same thing will happen to help employees hit with late payments on credit cards they’ve been using to keep working.
“I’m looking forward to it but I don’t want it to sound like I’m begging for something inappropriate,” she said.
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Trump signs order to pay TSA workers without ending DHS shutdown
Reporting by Zachary Schermele, Trevor Hughes and Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
