By Allison Pohle and Anvee Bhutani
March 27 is a make-or-break day for TSA officers.
If Congress leaves that day for a scheduled two-week recess without reaching a deal to fund the Transportation Security Administration, officers are set to miss more than a month of paychecks.
Mounting bills and dwindling bank accounts are expected to force more officers to find new work, lengthening lines and wait times for travelers trying to pass through airport security during a busy spring break period.
Many officers have been struggling to afford rent, utilities and other expenses, said several officers and their union.
If TSA workers go without another paychecks, "I don't know how many people are actually going to be able to make it into work," said Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer for the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, which represents the officers.
Some officers have sold plasma, delivered groceries and driven for ride-hailing services to get money to pay bills, according to the union.
An officer in Florida said he is planning to quit and take another security job if March 27 comes and goes without a funding deal, because he can't afford to go longer without pay.
His bank account is already $500 short, the officer said, and his utility company has threatened to shut off his power next month if he doesn't pay his overdue bills before then.
Funding for the TSA, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has been held up by a fight between Republicans and Democrats over immigration enforcement. Congress has held several votes on restoring funding and plans more, but the prospects for a deal look dim.
Democrats have pushed legislation to fund all of the DHS except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. They also put forth bills to fund TSA solely, only to be blocked by Republicans. GOP senators, meanwhile, have led efforts to fund all of DHS, which Democrats have stopped.
"The rank and file who work for TSA have nothing to do with the process, and yet they're the ones without a paycheck," Sen. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) said recently.
DHS called on Democrats to reopen the department immediately to end the hardship on TSA officers and their families -- and to save travelers from long waits at airports.
Republicans could end the standoff and support TSA workers by voting for Democrats' proposal to restore funding to TSA specifically, Democratic senators including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) have said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) said he would cancel the coming Senate recess if both sides can't reach a deal.
TSA workers are a linchpin of U.S. airport security, scanning travelers and their bags before they can head to their gates. Pay varies by location, though the mean annual wage was $61,800 in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As the weeks pass without paychecks, officer absences have slowed security checks at airports across the U.S. Some lines have taken travelers hours to pass.
Federal law prohibits TSA workers from striking. In addition, the agency has made it harder for officers to call in sick, said workers and union officials.
In the past, officers didn't need a doctor's note until they had been sick for three days. Now, a note is required on day one, said the workers and union officials. Otherwise, they may not be able to get back pay for those days.
Officers at two airports said that their managers encouraged them to take out a loan from their federal-worker retirement plan, but that they are reluctant to do so because they would lose out on any earnings and would need to repay the loans with interest.
Instead, some cash-strapped officers have been taking other steps. Since DHS funding lapsed in mid-February, about 375 officers have quit, the department said. Others have called in sick, with some airports reporting absence rates approaching 40%.
Airports have tried to help. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has a food pantry for TSA workers, while the Orlando, Fla., airport has encouraged passengers to contribute to its food drive.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where nearly 40% of officers called in sick on Wednesday, has provided TSA officers with vouchers for one meal a shift. It is also covering parking costs, said Ricky Smith, airport general manager.
Some passengers have given gift cards to TSA supervisors, but few workers usually get one because there aren't enough to go around, Jones said.
The timing for an increase in TSA officer absences would coincide with a major travel period. More than 40% of U.S. schools will have spring break the week of March 29, according to MDR Education, which is focused on K-12 schools.
Write to Allison Pohle at allison.pohle@wsj.com and Anvee Bhutani at anvee.bhutani@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 21, 2026 05:30 ET (09:30 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
