Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump thanked Transportation Security Administration employees Saturday for continuing to report to work without pay during an ongoing partial government shutdown.
In a social media post, the president praised the airport security officers and criticized political opponents over the funding dispute that led to the shutdown.
“Thank you to Johnny Jones and all of our GREAT TSA Agents who are going to work but not being paid because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal that was approved and voted on in Congress,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“They want your money to go to ‘Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Drug Dealers, and some of the worst people on earth.’ They don’t want it to go to you. Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!!” he added.
The message came hours after TSA employees were expected to miss their first full paycheck on Friday as the shutdown continued. About 50,000 transportation security officers are required to work without pay during the Department of Homeland Security funding lapse, which began Feb. 14.
CBS News reported that unscheduled absences among airport security officers have more than doubled since the shutdown began, while more than 300 employees have left the agency.
Department of Homeland Security officials have warned that if the shutdown continues, more TSA employees could leave their jobs, worsening staffing shortages.
“Our kids, our families, houses — everything is at stake at this moment,” one TSA officer told CBS News Atlanta. “We are literally drowning in silence, and the world doesn’t even know it.”
The chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were among several industry leaders who sent a letter to Congress on Sunday urging lawmakers to resolve the funding dispute.
The missed paychecks are “simply unacceptable,” the airline leaders wrote, saying it becomes difficult for workers to meet basic needs such as food, fuel and housing without their salaries.
The airline executives also called on Congress to approve legislation to ensure TSA officers and air traffic controllers continue to receive pay during future shutdowns. Airports around the country have reported longer security lines during the shutdown as staffing levels have changed.
