Trump Issues Emergency Order for TSA Payroll

The Situation with TSA Workers

Even though President Trump has taken steps to ensure that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are paid, airport screeners have indicated that the issue may not be resolved immediately. According to reports from Jendela Magazine, employees who are calling off work may continue until they receive their paychecks.

Key Facts About the Pay Issue

On Friday, President Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency and directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to “provide TSA employees with the compensation and benefits that would have accrued to them” if not for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Jendela Magazine that TSA officers should begin receiving their paychecks as early as Monday, March 30. However, TSA workers are still due to receive a second $0 paycheck on Friday.

One TSA worker, speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation, said, “Callouts might not stop until we get some money in our pockets.” Another officer added, “I won’t believe it’s over until we actually get paid.”

The lack of payment has led to long security lines at major airports, including Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International, Baltimore/Washington International, and New York’s John F. Kennedy International.

What Changed Since Yesterday?

President Trump announced on Thursday evening via social media that he would sign an executive order to circumvent Congress and restore pay for TSA workers. In the early hours of Friday morning, the U.S. Senate approved legislation that would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA workers—but not Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The funding bill now moves to the House, where it could be voted on by Friday, potentially allowing Trump to sign it before lawmakers leave Washington for their two-week Easter/Passover recess. Everett Kelley, president of the union representing 47,000 airport security workers, stated that TSA workers are “grateful that action was taken,” but emphasized the need for Congress to pass a real, bipartisan appropriations deal that ensures all DHS workers are paid “even if it means canceling their upcoming vacation.”

On Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., reportedly told Republicans that the House would not vote on the Senate deal and instead pursue a short-term package to fund DHS. Additionally, Trump issued an emergency order to pay TSA workers, although it remains unclear where the funds will come from.

Chief Critic Speaks Out

Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., criticized the Republican Party for voting against Democratic proposals to pay TSA agents and fund FEMA and the Coast Guard 14 times. She stated, “Republicans have voted against Democrats’ proposals to pay TSA agents and fund FEMA and the Coast Guard 14 times. They control the Senate, the House and the White House—and have had every opportunity to end the pain of this shutdown … While they finally relented with this long-overdue agreement, their choices remain unconscionable.”

What We Don’t Know

It is still unclear how long it will take for TSA workers to see their paychecks. One TSA officer told Jendela Magazine after hearing of Trump’s executive order, “We won’t know if we’ll be paid until it happens.”

The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 guarantees federal employees furloughed or excepted during a government shutdown will receive retroactive pay “as soon as possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.” However, a week after the 43-day government shutdown ended last November, many TSA workers had still not been paid, according to local news reports from Phoenix, Orlando, and other cities.

“I typically has taken weeks to get paid,” one TSA worker told Jendela Magazine. “Pay was slow getting to us after the last shutdown, and we haven’t been given a date when we will be paid this time.”

Further Reading

Senate Clears Deal To End DHS Shutdown Amid Airport Chaos—ICE Funding Excluded