While CBP and ICE can is used With the extra money they received last year in Republicans’ so-called Big Beautiful Bill, other DHS agencies were more affected by the shutdown, including the Transportation Security Administration, FEMA, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard. Some essential government employees have been working without pay for more than a month.
Congress’s April recess is quickly approaching. The largest federal labor union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), to caution Friday that “on March 27, approximately 47,000 TSA officers, 22,000 FEMA employees, 8,900 Coast Guard civilian employees, and hundreds of Border Patrol administrative employees will lose another paycheck.”
AFGE National President Everett Kelly said the House and Senate “have had weeks to fix this, and they’ve barely been in the same building.”
He continued: “Members of Congress have walked past TSA members at airport security checkpoints more often than they have met to negotiate an end to this impasse.” “These officers deserve to be paid for the work they do to keep these members safe. The least Congress can do for these patriotic American workers is to act before lawmakers leave town for the weekend, or worse, avoid a weeks-long recess.”
The Senate met on Saturday, when Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued. Which “It’s unacceptable, it’s unacceptable to say we’re not going to pay TSA workers unless it’s tied to a bill that funds ICE without any reforms. But that’s what Republicans have done. Democrats want to pay TSA workers as quickly as possible, without strings attached. A yes vote on my proposal will start doing that.”
And the vote was 41-49with every GOP senator voting no. In response, Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced that “Senate Republicans voted against paying salaries to TSA agents because they insist on tying TSA funding to their efforts to give money.” More than that Money to ICE – without basic reforms.”
“This is not the way it should work, and it is plain wrong for Republicans to prevent TSA agents from getting paid while airport lines lengthen across the country,” she said. “We can fund TSA and other important parts of DHS today– As we move forward with negotiations on ICE and Border Patrol – if Republicans stop standing in the way.
Meanwhile, as the Americans are at different airports competes With long lines due to TSA workers Quit smoking Or calls out Trump He said On his “Social Truth” show Saturday, he said, “The far-left Democrats have hurt a lot of people with their evil, careless ways. What they’ve done to DHS, our wonderful TSA officers, and most importantly, the great people of our country, is an absolute disgrace. If Democrats don’t allow fair and adequate security at our airports, and in other places across our country, ICE will do the job much better than ever before!”
He added: “Fascist Democrats will never protect America, but Republicans will.” “Just as the radical left allowed millions of criminals to flood into our country through their ridiculous and dangerous open border policy, Republicans have shut it down, and we now have the strongest border in American history. Likewise, I look forward to moving Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday, and I have already told them to ‘stand by.’ No more waiting, no more games!”
In response, Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-Vermont) said in a statement: He said: “Republicans, we need you to speak up now. This is a national security nightmare. Democrats have been trying for weeks to get funding from TSA. The votes to make it happen have been in place since before the shutdown began. ICE has continued to have access to massive slush funds throughout the entire shutdown, which is why they are so readily available. Stop trying to tie additional funding for ICE to funding for the rest of DHS.”
“Trump’s paramilitary army of ICE agents does not belong at our airports and is not properly trained to do this work,” Balint added. “I ask my fellow Republicans: Stop submitting to the whims of this out-of-control president. You are risking national security with your silence and complicity. You can put a stop to this. Say something. Fund the TSA. For the sake of our country, show some damn courage!”
Apparently Trump was not deterred He added Sunday that “On Monday, ICE will be going to the airports to help the wonderful TSA agents who have remained on the job despite the fact that the radical left Democrats, who are focused solely on protecting hardened criminals who have entered our country illegally, are putting the United States at risk by withholding money that was agreed upon long ago with signed, sealed contracts, and everything. But, no matter how great a job ICE is doing, the lunatics who are leading the Democrats are incompetent.” They will be very critical of their work, they will do a great job, the great Tom Homan is in charge!!!”
“ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security,” AFGE’s Kelly said in a statement Sunday. “TSA officers spend months learning how to detect explosives, weapons and threats specifically designed to avoid detection at checkpoints — skills that require specialized instruction, hands-on practice and constant re-certification. You can’t improvise this. Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints doesn’t fill a gap. It creates a gap.”
He added: “Our members at TSA show up every day, without pay, because they believe in the mission of keeping the public safe. They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they are.” “Congress has the power to fund TSA today. It is time for them to stop playing politics and do their job.”
This article has been updated with additional comments from President Donald Trump and AFGE National President Everett Kelly.
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