Former TSA Officer Raises Thousands for Airport Workers Who Can’t Pay for Gas During Government Shutdown

A former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer is stepping up to help fellow airport employees in Atlanta who haven’t received paychecks during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

“They’re feeling unseen. They’re feeling unheard,” said organizer Caleb Harmon-Marshall, founder of the travel newsletter Gate Access, in an interview with CBS affiliate WANF. “They’re feeling forgotten because they’re going through this.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 5, Harmon-Marshall partnered with Caliber Car Wash to host a community support event at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. TSA officers were offered free car washes and gas cards, a small relief amid mounting financial stress. Many federal employees expressed their gratitude.

“It makes me feel better that my car looks good,” said James Drake, a TSA officer. “We’re all trying to stick together. We’re a family. We help each other out.”

Philip Simmons, who has worked with the TSA for more than two decades, told WANF that while he’s lived through shutdowns before, this is the first time he’s gone without pay.

“It’s not a good feeling,” he said. “Sometimes you wonder, okay, if you’re going to impact somebody, why are they impacting us?”

The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, has now become the longest in American history, according to The New York Times. Its effects have rippled nationwide — from 42 million Americans facing uncertainty over SNAP benefits to federal workers fearing delayed or denied back pay, despite legal obligations to provide it.

By Friday, Nov. 7, hundreds of flights were canceled after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered cuts to air traffic as controllers continued to work without pay, the Times reported.

Meanwhile, TSA officers are feeling the pinch at home and at the gas pump. Through a donation drive organized by Harmon-Marshall, more than $3,600 has been raised to provide $50 gas cards for officers who can’t afford to commute to work.

“The most significant pain point I’m hearing nationwide is transportation costs,” Harmon-Marshall told The Washington Post. “These officers know they’re required to report to work, but they can’t because they don’t have money for gas — leading them to call out.”

For many, even this modest assistance offers a sense of hope and solidarity.

“I’ve broken down at work before,” Simmons admitted. “I step to the side. I cry. And then I remember — what is that going to solve? Push right back and get back to work.”