Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are reporting missed paychecks during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown because TSA’s payroll depends on annual appropriations that have lapsed, even though most frontline screeners are still required to work as “excepted” employees, according to The Hill.
- Who’s affected: TSA Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and other DHS employees whose pay is tied to lapsed appropriations, The Hill reported.
- Why they’re still working: Many TSA employees are designated “excepted” during a shutdown, meaning they must continue performing duties tied to the safety of human life and protection of property, according to The Hill’s explanation of shutdown rules.
- Why pay is delayed: With DHS funding not enacted, TSA cannot legally disburse pay on schedule because federal agencies generally may not obligate or spend funds without appropriations under the Antideficiency Act framework, as described by The Hill.
- What happens to missed pay: Shutdown-related pay is typically provided after funding is restored, but the timing depends on when Congress passes and the president signs a funding bill, The Hill reported.
- Operational impact: TSA screening operations generally continue, but the shutdown can disrupt administrative functions and create financial strain for employees who are working without immediate pay, according to The Hill.
- What to watch: Funding negotiations and any short-term continuing resolution (CR) or full-year DHS appropriations package will determine when payroll normalizes, The Hill reported.
Brief context: DHS is among the agencies affected in the current partial shutdown tied to stalled appropriations. TSA is within DHS, and its workforce is heavily frontline and mission-essential, which is why airport screening continues even when funding lapses. However, continuing to report for duty does not automatically guarantee an on-time paycheck during a lapse in appropriations. The Hill noted that the legal constraint is not whether employees are working, but whether the agency has budget authority to issue pay.
For TSA employees, the practical takeaway is that work may continue while pay is delayed, and back pay—while commonly provided after shutdowns—typically arrives only once a funding measure is enacted and payroll systems can process it. Employees tracking potential pay impacts may want to review current federal pay basics and timing considerations through FedInfo’s pay resources (https://fedinfo.org).
Source: The Hill — “Why aren’t TSA agents getting paid?” https://thehill.com/homenews/5786400-why-arent-tsa-agents-getting-paid/