Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers across the nation are missing their first full paycheck this week, because of the partial government shutdown caused by a stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Some TSA agents aren’t showing up for work, leading to long lines at some airports this week. So far, that has not happened at San Diego International Airport.
In Terminal One late Thursday morning, there was no hint that anything was wrong. At the TSA checkpoint, monitors showed five minute waits for both TSA Pre-Check and for the regular queue. But “there’s a lot of depression going on… a lot of angst,” said Robert Mack, a lead transportation officer for TSA in San Diego and a member of the American Federation of Government Employees.
Mack said his colleagues still haven’t recovered from the last government shutdown, and now this; one partial and now one full paycheck missed.
Mack said agents across the country are starting to call in sick and about 300 have quit since the shutdown began.
He said we could see the same thing in San Diego.
“If I can't put money in my gas tank, if I can't put food in my belly, if I can't feed my kids, I can't put clothes on their back and a roof over their head, then why am I still here?” said Mack.
The hands of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority are pretty much tied, as this is an issue for Congress to decide. In a written statement, the Authority advised passengers to check their flight status before coming to the airport, and to arrive at least two hours before their flights.
"Checkpoint wait times and flight scheduling are subject to the operations of our federal and airline partners. These operations are, at times, affected by the federal government shutdown,” the statement said. “We appreciate the ongoing commitment from TSA, FAA and our partner airlines to maintain the safety and reliability of the national transportation system during this challenging time.”
Mack said agents are starting to get to their wit’s end.
“It absolutely doesn't make sense. Why am I being punished for another part of the agency?” he asked, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Regulating the conduct of federal immigration officers is one of the reasons for the ongoing DHS shutdown. Mack said, “Everybody's frustrated with this. This is… yeah, there will be people leaving.”
We found one passenger who flew in Thursday morning from El Paso, where the TSA situation seemed to mirror things in San Diego, so far.
“I would say roughly like 2 or 3 minutes,” said Noemi Ochoa of her wait at the El Paso airport. She said the wait ended up being a little longer because “I had to go back because there was a problem with my shoes.”
The Airport Authority statement said their focus remains on ensuring a safe and efficient experience.
Mack said he’s worried both of those priorities will be harder and harder to meet unless agents start getting paid again… and soon.
