President Donald Trump said he will sign an order to ensure Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are paid despite the partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, as airport delays worsened amid rising employee call-outs and long security lines.
- Who’s affected: TSA officers and other DHS employees working during the shutdown without a paycheck
- What Trump said: He will sign an order to pay TSA workers, according to NBC News
- Why now: Long airport security lines and high daily call-out rates are increasing operational strain, NBC News reported
- Status of pay: TSA officers are generally expected to report to work during a shutdown because their duties are tied to protecting life and property; however, pay is delayed until funding is restored (as described in NBC’s report)
- Back pay: Federal employees affected by shutdowns have historically received retroactive pay once appropriations resume, but the NBC segment focused on Trump’s stated plan to direct pay for TSA workers during the lapse
- Agency involved: TSA is part of DHS
- Mechanism: Trump described the action as an order (NBC News characterized it as an order to pay TSA workers)
Brief context
The comments came amid a partial DHS shutdown in which many employees continued working without pay. NBC News reported that TSA staffing disruptions—driven by elevated call-outs—were contributing to delays at airport checkpoints, adding pressure on the administration and Congress to address shutdown impacts on the federal workforce.
TSA officers are among the federal workers most visibly affected during a shutdown because airport screening operations continue even when appropriations lapse. When employees must report to duty without immediate pay, agencies can see increased absenteeism and operational slowdowns, which can quickly translate into longer lines for the traveling public.
For federal employees tracking shutdown pay rules and timelines, guidance and calculators can help clarify what happens to missed pay periods and potential retroactive payments. (See FedInfo’s federal pay resources: https://fedinfo.org)
Source: NBC News – Politics (video), “Trump says he will sign order to pay TSA workers following weeks of long lines,” accessed March 30, 2026: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/trump-says-he-will-sign-order-to-pay-tsa-workers-following-weeks-of-long-lines-260161093697