President Donald Trump signed an executive action directing that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees continue to receive pay during the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, as Senate negotiators worked overnight on a funding agreement, Federal News Network reported.
- Action: Trump signed an executive action aimed at ensuring TSA employees are paid during the DHS funding lapse, according to Federal News Network.
- Why now: The White House move comes after Congress failed to reach an agreement to fund DHS, triggering a shutdown that has strained airport operations, Federal News Network reported.
- Operational impact: The administration framed the action as a step to reduce staffing strain and long airport security lines during the shutdown, according to the report.
- Legislative status: The executive action was announced as the Senate worked overnight on a broader funding deal, Federal News Network reported.
- Who’s affected: The order targets TSA personnel, a frontline DHS workforce whose presence directly affects checkpoint throughput and passenger wait times.
The executive action is the latest attempt to mitigate immediate operational disruptions during a DHS shutdown. TSA screening operations are highly visible during funding lapses because checkpoint staffing levels can quickly translate into longer lines and missed flights, particularly at major hubs.
Federal News Network reported that Trump said he would sign the order to pay TSA agents while lawmakers continued negotiations. The report did not specify in detail how the executive action would be implemented across pay systems or whether it would require later congressional reimbursement, but it was presented as a mechanism to keep TSA employees receiving pay despite the lapse in DHS appropriations.
For federal employees and service members traveling during the shutdown, the practical effect is aimed at maintaining TSA staffing and stabilizing security line performance at airports. For TSA employees, the key issue is continuity of pay during the lapse period—an acute concern in any shutdown scenario.
Employees should monitor official DHS/TSA guidance and payroll communications for implementation details, including timing of payments and any administrative steps. For background on federal shutdown pay rules and how back pay typically works after a lapse, see FedBrief’s explainer: https://fedbrief.org/.
Source: Federal News Network, “Trump says he’ll sign order to pay TSA agents as Senate works overnight on funding deal” (March 2026): https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2026/03/trump-says-hell-sign-order-to-pay-tsa-agents-as-senate-works-overnight-on-funding-deal/