Pessimism is growing on Capitol Hill as Congress races to strike a deal on Department of Homeland Security funding and avoid another government shutdown.
If lawmakers fail to act by Feb. 13, at midnight, DHS would enter a partial shutdown, disrupting agencies that play a role in border security, disaster response and travel.
The stalemate centers on immigration enforcement. Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the Senate and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the House, are pushing for tighter Immigration and Customs Enforcement warrant requirements and for agents to be unmasked. Senate Republicans say there is little room for compromise. Senate GOP leader John Thune has said he plans to tee up a short-term continuing resolution, but no vote has been scheduled.
If a shutdown occurs, it would affect agencies including ICE, Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Coast Guard.
The standoff revives memories from last year’s 43-day shutdown – the longest in U.S. history – when thousands of transportation and security workers were required to work without pay. During that shutdown, airlines were ordered to reduce flight schedules by up to 10% at dozens of major airports after air traffic controllers, missing multiple paychecks, began calling out sick in large numbers.
That extraordinary measure was taken as the air traffic system grew increasingly strained, underscoring how quickly shutdowns can ripple through the travel industry.
Not immediately, but the risk increases the longer a shutdown lasts.
Federal Aviation Administration and TSA employees who perform essential safety and security functions continue working during a shutdown. However, prolonged lapses in funding can lead to staffing shortages as workers struggle to manage financially.
During this possible partial government shutdown, FAA funding would not be affected, but TSA funding would, because the TSA is a branch of DHS.
“DHS essential missions and functions will continue as they do during every shutdown. However, during a shutdown, many employees will be forced to work without pay, putting strain on the frontline defenders of our nation,” the agency told USA TODAY in a statement.
Yes, but workers do not get paid.
Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill warned lawmakers that if DHS funding lapses again, roughly 61,000 TSA workers at more than 430 commercial airports would be required to keep working without pay.
During last year’s shutdown, TSA officers slept in their cars, received eviction notices, lost child care services, and sold blood or plasma to make ends meet, McNeill said.
“Some are just recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown,” she told lawmakers. “We cannot put them through another such experience. It would be unconscionable.”
TSA has previously warned that extended shutdowns can lead to longer airport security lines as absenteeism increases. “While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5 million passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports,” the agency said in a prior statement.
The Coast Guard, which also falls under DHS, issued a similar warning.
Vice Adm. Thomas Allan, the acting vice commandant, told lawmakers that a funding lapse lasting more than a few days would halt pay for roughly 56,000 active-duty, reserve, and civilian personnel. The agency would be forced to suspend all but the most critical national security and life-saving missions.
“Shutdowns cripple morale,” Allan said. “Our aviation survival technician deploying from a helicopter into treacherous seas should not have to worry if their family can buy groceries this week.”
For travelers, the immediate effects of a shutdown may be subtle. But history suggests that the longer funding lapses last, the more likely disruptions – from longer security lines to flight delays – become unavoidable.
Contributing: Lori Comstock, USA TODAY Network
(This story was updated to add a video.)

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