The information was announced by Tom Homan on CNN's “State of the Union” program. He stated that the payment plan is being implemented immediately, with a goal of completion by early next week.
“There is a plan to pay TSA employees, hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday,” Homan said. “They are struggling, lacking enough money to care for their families or pay rent.”
According to published data, TSA employees – with an average income of about $49,000/year – have gone 43 days without receiving full pay due to a partial government shutdown.
Last full paycheck: February 14
Partial payment: February 28
Completely missed: March 13 and March 27
The order signed by President Trump on Friday allows the Department of Homeland Security to reallocate internal budgets to pay the TSA workforce while Congress has yet to reach a budget agreement.
The cause stems from a deadlock in Congress over funding for the DHS. The Senate passed a bill funding most DHS operations, but excluded certain items related to border and immigration forces.
However, the House did not accept this proposal, arguing there were many ambiguities, and instead proposed a 60-day temporary solution to maintain all DHS operations while continuing negotiations.
Negotiations stalled as the Senate entered a two-week recess, leaving the DHS budget unapproved and pushing thousands of TSA employees into a state of working without pay.
This development shows the growing pressure on the U.S. aviation security system, as frontline forces maintain operations at airports despite the prolonged income disruption.
