A senior official with the TSA has indicated that security issues at airports might worsen before they improve, attributing the situation to a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, which he claims is being held “hostage” by Congress.
On Thursday, TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl expressed concerns that airports might shut down due to a significant surge in disruptions to flight operations.
“Attendance rates are one of several factors that help gauge security at each airport, but unless we can find a solution, especially in the upcoming days and weeks, things are likely to get worse,” he stated during an interview.
While he didn’t specify how many airports are impacted, he did mention that smaller airports might face more severe consequences due to having fewer lanes and staff. A situation could arise where if several employees at a smaller airport call out, operations may be temporarily halted to maintain safety.
As the government shutdown stretches into its fifth week, there seems to be little progress toward a bipartisan solution. Democrats have put forward a proposal to allocate funding to specific agencies within the DHS, yet this excludes Immigration and Customs Enforcement among others.
Last week, Senate Democrats blocked a bill aimed at reinstating funding for the fourth time, further prolonging the standoff.
Stahl criticized Congress, declaring that such tactics could jeopardize the safety of Americans, stating, “Holding an entire department hostage over policy disputes is truly reckless and undermines the fundamental role of Congress to adequately fund the executive branch.”
Security personnel at airports are currently working without pay, a situation Delta CEO Ed Bastian termed “inexcusable.” About 50,000 TSA employees have been working without compensation since mid-February due to the ongoing negotiations.
On Thursday, over 5,000 flights faced delays nationwide, following 9,000 disruptions on Tuesday and 7,000 on Wednesday, as tracked by FlightAware.
Travelers at Houston’s George Bush International Airport found themselves in long lines. According to reports, some airline passengers experienced waits of up to three hours at TSA screening. Inside terminals, alerts warned travelers that extended wait times were expected because of the reduced number of TSA officers.
Staffing shortages were evident, with 40.8% of TSA agents absent at the William P. Hobby Airport on Tuesday and nearly 36% at Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport. Data from Atlanta’s airport indicated that over 34% of employees were deployed on the same day, which then increased to about 38%.
Cameron Kokems, a TSA union steward in Boise, Idaho, shared that those on the ground are uncertain about the shutdown’s end, negatively impacting morale. He remarked that the waiting lines were a direct consequence of the government’s failure to perform its duties, which he believes is disrupting lives.
