The Trump White House is weighing executive-branch options to keep Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers paid during a potential government shutdown, a move that could bypass Congress and revive legal questions about how far the executive branch can go without new appropriations, The Washington Post reported March 26.
- Who it affects: TSA transportation security officers (TSOs) and other TSA personnel who are typically required to keep working during a shutdown as “excepted” employees, according to The Washington Post.
- What’s being considered: Unilateral payment mechanisms or other executive workarounds to prevent missed paychecks for TSA screeners during a lapse in appropriations, The Washington Post reported.
- Why it’s controversial: Federal law generally bars agencies from spending money without appropriations; shutdown “workarounds” can raise Anti-Deficiency Act concerns and invite scrutiny from Congress, watchdogs, or the courts, according to the report.
- What’s driving the push: TSA officers are often on the front lines during shutdowns, and prior shutdowns have produced significant pay delays for employees who must work without timely pay, The Washington Post noted.
- Status: The discussions are under consideration; the White House had not announced a final decision as of March 26, per The Washington Post.
Brief context
During government shutdowns, many federal employees are furloughed, while others—such as TSA screeners—may be required to continue working to protect life and property and maintain critical operations. In past shutdowns, “excepted” employees frequently worked without pay until Congress enacted legislation to restore funding and provide back pay. The Washington Post reported that the administration’s current deliberations echo earlier shutdown-era efforts to direct money to selected functions or agencies, but that such steps can collide with appropriations law and long-standing limits on executive spending authority.
For federal workers, the key issue is that shutdown pay disruptions are not limited to furloughed staff: employees ordered to work can still face missed paychecks if appropriations lapse. TSA has been a focal point in prior shutdowns because screening operations continue even when other parts of the government pause, and because large numbers of frontline employees live paycheck to paycheck, amplifying operational risk when pay is delayed, according to The Washington Post’s Federal Insider report.
Employees tracking potential shutdown impacts on pay timing and back pay rules can review general shutdown pay guidance and scenarios at FedBrief (fedbrief.org).
Source: The Washington Post (Federal Insider), March 26, 2026, “Trump weighs sidestepping Congress to pay TSA officers during shutdown,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/26/trump-tsa-unilateral-payment/