Trump to Sign Order Paying TSA Workers as Senate Races to End Funding Crisis

President Trump announced he will issue an executive order to pay TSA agents using funds from his 2025 tax legislation as a 42-day budget standoff continues to disrupt air travel. Senators worked through the night trying to reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security while airport delays worsen nationwide.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced he will issue an executive order directing the Homeland Security secretary to provide immediate payment to Transportation Security Administration workers, as senators engaged in overnight negotiations to break a funding deadlock that has disrupted air travel and caused financial strain for federal employees.

The president revealed his decision through a social media announcement, stating his intention to rapidly address the “Chaos at the Airports.”

As the 42-day funding standoff for the Department of Homeland Security intensifies, lawmakers and White House officials rushed toward a resolution in the final hours before TSA employees would miss yet another Friday paycheck.

The administration had considered the unprecedented step of declaring a national emergency to compensate TSA workers, a strategy fraught with political and legal complications. Instead, Trump’s executive action will provide TSA employee compensation through funding from his 2025 tax legislation, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak publicly.

Meanwhile, senators continued their all-night efforts on legislation that would provide funding for other department components, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard. Democratic lawmakers have insisted on restrictions regarding Homeland Security personnel involved in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations before approving funding for those agency divisions.

“The president is doing absolutely the right thing,” stated Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the GOP whip, following his conversation with Trump. “The TSA agents are going to be paid.”

The funding crisis has caused travel disruptions and prompted warnings about potential airport shutdowns as unpaid TSA employees have stopped reporting to work.

Several airports are experiencing absence rates exceeding 40% among TSA staff, and nearly 500 of the agency’s approximately 50,000 transportation security officers have resigned during the shutdown. On Wednesday alone, more than 11% of scheduled TSA employees nationwide failed to report for duty, according to DHS data. This represented over 3,120 employee absences.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, expressed appreciation that TSA workers will receive payment but emphasized that Congress must remain in session to approve an agreement “that funds DHS, pays all DHS workers, and keeps these vital agencies running.”

At George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, traveler Melissa Gates missed her flight to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after waiting over 2½ hours without reaching the security checkpoint. No alternative flights were available until Friday.

“I should have just driven, right?” Gates remarked. “Five hours would have been hilarious next to this.”

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., presented what he called a “last and final” proposal to Democratic colleagues.

Thune withheld specifics about the new framework but indicated it built upon a previous weekend offer, before negotiations between the White House and Democrats collapsed.

“Enough is enough,” he declared.

However, as senators withdrew for private discussions about the new proposal, progress stagnated.

Democratic lawmakers contended that Republican proposals have inadequately addressed oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Customs and Border Protection agents, and other federal personnel conducting immigration operations, particularly following the deaths of two Americans protesting these actions in Minneapolis.

Democrats are seeking requirements for federal agents to display identification, remove face coverings, and avoid conducting operations near schools, churches, or other sensitive locations. They have also advocated for eliminating administrative warrants, demanding judicial approval before agents search homes or private property — a concept new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has indicated willingness to consider, though senators want written commitments.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York emphasized the need for substantial reforms.

Trump had primarily deferred the matter to Congress but warned of potential intervention, threatening to deploy National Guard forces to airports alongside ICE agents currently verifying traveler identification.

“They need to end this shutdown immediately or we’ll have to take drastic measures,” Trump stated during Thursday morning’s Cabinet meeting.

The Republican tax reduction legislation Trump enacted last year allocated billions to DHS, including $75 billion for ICE operations, ensuring immigration officers continue receiving pay during the shutdown.

Any resolution will likely require compromise as lawmakers from both progressive and conservative factions express opposition. Conservative Republicans have criticized their party’s proposals, demanding complete funding for immigration operations.