WASHINGTON — With the busy spring break travel season looming, travel and aviation industry leaders urged Congress to end the stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security before federal workers at airports miss a full paycheck.
"They're showing up. They're doing their job, and they're not getting paid," said Geoff Freeman, the CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, during a press conference Thursday. "It's not just unfair. It's reckless. You can't run an industry with $3 trillion in economic impact on IOUs."
DHS has been shut down for nearly three weeks after lawmakers failed to negotiate a budget deal to fund the agency or agree on changes to how immigration officers operate. Many of the Transportation Security Administration's roughly 64,000 employees are considered "essential" workers and have to stay on the job anyway.
In past shutdowns, TSA officers stayed home from work in greater numbers when they started missing paychecks, citing "financial limitations." Travel and aviation industry leaders worry that could happen again just as travel volume picks up in March and April.
"We're going to see sick outs. We're going to see screeners who love their jobs but are going to be forced to look for other jobs," said Todd Hauptli, the head of the American Association of Airport Executives. "TSA is going to do their very best to try and keep those lines moving, but they're not going to sacrifice safety. And that means people should be prepared as this drags out for longer lines."
Industry leaders also criticized the decision to suspend Global Entry, a program of U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to use expedited kiosks when entering the United States from abroad.
"I think it's a huge mistake when you have the most vetted, secured passengers being able to move through the system seamlessly, to shut that system down and shove everyone into a standard line," said Chris Sununu, the CEO of the industry trade group Airlines for America, and a former Republican governor of New Hampshire.
DHS initially said it would also suspend PreCheck, a similar program for pre-approved travelers at TSA checkpoints, but then quickly backtracked and allowed PreCheck to resume.
"There is absolutely zero justification for the Department of Homeland Security pausing either program," Freeman said Thursday. His group has been urging the White House to restart Global Entry as well, he said.
"We're having those conversations daily. I'm optimistic it will happen soon," Freeman said. "It defies logic why either program would be paused."
The industry leaders gathered to launch a messaging campaign with the slogan, "Pay Federal Aviation Workers." They're urging Congress to fund DHS, and to pass legislation ensuring that essential federal aviation employees can be paid during future government shutdowns.
The press conference was held before President Trump announced that he is replacing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the former governor of South Dakota. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he wants Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R.-Okla., to become the next DHS secretary, effective at the end of March.
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