AFGE calls out Congress as TSA officers work without pay

AFGE President Everett Kelley: “A TSO selling plasma to keep the lights on is unconscionable”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 23, 2026) — As travelers across the US face hours-long TSA lines disrupting flights and leaving passengers stranded, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is calling out Congress for preparing to head into their April break without taking action to pay TSA officers and other federal employees during the partial government shutdown.

Monday marks the 38th day TSA officers have worked without pay. And 47,000 TSA workers will miss another paycheck on March 27. Per AFGE, the House and Senate have been in session together for just 11 days since the partial shutdown began on February 14.

“The House and Senate have had weeks to fix this and they have barely been in the same building,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “Members of Congress have walked past our TSA members at airport security checkpoints more often than they’ve met to negotiate an end to this stalemate. Those officers deserve to be paid for the work they do to keep those members safe.”

The partial shutdown impacts some Department of Homeland Security personnel; beyond TSA agents, 22,000 FEMA employees are also going without pay. It began last month when Democrats refused to approve funding for DHS without changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement practices that have seen multiple civilians killed on the streets and dozens more dead in detention facilities across the U.S. Senate Democrats have proposed measures to fund TSA seven times since the start of the partial shutdown, seeking to put money in pockets while they negotiate terms for full DHS funding. Republicans have so far refused.

On Sunday, the President pushed Senate Republicans to prevent any deal to pay workers unless Democrats back a bill requiring onerous ID requirements to vote, legislation that would likely block millions of American citizens from voting. This legislation has become a top priority for the Trump/Vance administration as it’s unpopularity with Americans continues to grow; the President now boasts a –18 approval rating, per the Economist.

As political machinations continue, TSA workers across the U.S. are being pushed to their limit.

“A TSO selling plasma to keep the lights on is unconscionable,” Kelley said. “Tens of thousands of families turning to food banks because Congress refuses to do its job is a national disgrace. This is a profound moral failure, and the American people should know who’s responsible for it.”