
<p>As Spring Break is upon us and airport wait lines are stretching into parking lots, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a press release saying that the Democrats refusal to fund TSA is putting the flying public at “serious risk.”</p>



<p>According to the March 17 press release, “Due to the Democrat-led shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and other Transportation Security Administration (TSA) roles critical to national safety at our nation’s airports are going ;without pay for the third time in nearly six months.</p>



<p>The undue financial pressure has resulted in increased callouts and agents leaving the force, leading Americans to face at some airports more than three-hour security lines and miss flights. Despite this impact on American travelers, Democrats continue to recklessly keep DHS shut down.</p>



<p>“<em>The Democrats’ reckless DHS shutdown is causing TSA officers to go without pay for the ;third time in nearly six months,” ;</em>said ;Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary. ;<em>“These political stunts are causing unneeded financial hardship for our TSA officers and their families. Now, 366 TSA officers have left the force. Because of this DHS shutdown, Americans are facing HOURS long waits at airports across the country. Democrats must reopen DHS now.”</em></p>



<p>Headlines across the nation scream of the impact on the flying public, but DHS says they only paint a small picture of the extreme impact the shutdown has on American travelers, TSOs, and national security:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>On Sunday, March 15 and Monday, March 16, callouts spiked over 50% in Houston and over 30% in New Orleans and Atlanta, resulting in fewer officers screening an ever-growing number of travelers.</li>



<li>Callout rates have spiked nationwide, with the highest single-day airport callout rate reaching 55% at Houston Hobby International Airport (HOU) on March 14, 2026.</li>



<li>Attrition has also surged, with 366 TSOs leaving the force. This loss compounds TSA’s ability to meet passenger demand, as each new TSO replacement requires 4-6 months to be trained and certified, leaving critical gaps in staffing. </li>
</ul>



<p>The release concluded: “Democrats continue to play political games with the livelihoods of our TSA officers and their families. It’s time for them to end their shutdown and pay our TSA agents. ;TSA funding must be restored immediately.”</p>

Democrats Refusal to Fund TSA is Putting Spring Break Flyers at Serious Risk
