Travellers should continue to expect delays at airports as the US Congress continues its back and forth of a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the TSA.
The House was expected to pass a bipartisan funding deal at a special session 02APR morning. Instead it declined to take action, so the shutdown will continue until at least Monday when the House holds its next special session.
TSA agents, who had not been paid since the shutdown began 14FEB, started being paid this week. That is expected to stop agents calling in sick, but some agents did not receive full pay and others quit, leading to expectations the TSA will not have enough staff on duty for airports to return to normal.
The legislation to solve the fight over DHS funding is taking a tortuous route through Congress. Senate and House Republicans had agreed to move ahead as early as 02APR with legislation to reopen the DHS. The plan would fund the department through 30SEP but omit money for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown which would be funded through a regular spending bill.
A senior White House official said 01APR the president, who blasted the funding deal as “inappropriate” last week, would sign it if it reached his desk.
