President Donald Trump has scuttled a bipartisan legislative effort to restore pay for approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, signaling a deepening of the federal government shutdown. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) confirmed Monday that the White House rejected a proposal to decouple TSA funding from controversial immigration disputes.
“As is his right, he said no. No deals with the Democrats,” Kennedy stated on Fox News, noting that the rejection has sent lawmakers “back to square one.”
The proposed compromise, authored by Kennedy and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), sought to end the month-long impasse by funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in its entirety, excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Under the plan, Republicans would have accepted a Democratic offer to reopen the majority of the department, then utilized the budget reconciliation process to fund ICE. This maneuver would have bypassed the 60-vote filibuster threshold, allowing the GOP to secure immigration funding with a simple majority and no Democratic concessions.
However, President Trump dismissed the strategy after it was presented by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). On Truth Social, the President characterized any compromise as “unacceptable,” instead demanding the passage of the “SAVE AMERICA ACT”—legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote—and a total ban on mail-in ballots.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(867x311:869x313):format(webp)/Transportation-Security-Administration-workers-are-seen-at-the-security-checkpoint-032426-72214a7870c94794a109526f6c4a3d8e.jpg){kind=spacer}
The political deadlock is producing severe operational consequences. Because TSA screeners are classified as “essential,” they must work without pay during shutdowns. This has triggered a wave of resignations and “blue flu” call-outs:
- Resignations: More than 400 TSA workers have quit since the shutdown began.
- Absenteeism: National call-out rates reached 12% on Sunday; Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and New York’s JFK reported rates near 40%.
- Safety Impacts: Staffing shortages reportedly delayed federal investigators reaching LaGuardia Airport following a fatal runway collision on March 22.
DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis warned that many officers can no longer afford gas or childcare. In response to the shortages, the White House has ordered ICE officers to deploy to airport checkpoints and suggested the National Guard may be activated to maintain security.
