171 million travelers face airport delays as Democrats' DHS shutdown hits TSA staffing, Scalise warns
Who's accountable for the results?
EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is hammering Democrats over the partial government shutdown as its effects begin to hit millions of travelers at airports across the country.
"This is expected to be one of the busiest spring travel seasons on record. Over 171 million travelers are estimated to fly in the coming weeks, and they expect the agencies responsible for keeping them safe to be fully operational," Scalise told Fox News Digital.
"The longer Democrats hold the Department of Homeland Security hostage, the longer they’re forcing [Transportation Security Administration (TSA)] agents to work without pay and the worse the pain will be that Democrats inflict on regular Americans."
It comes as TSA agents, whose agency operates under DHS, are set to miss their first full paychecks next week. And with Democrats continuing to withhold the department's funding in protest of President Donald Trump's handling of illegal immigration, the standoff still has no clear end in sight.
STEVE SCALISE RIPS DEMOCRATS FOR 'PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES' WITH DHS SHUTDOWN AMID IRAN THREAT
Scalise's own hometown travel hub, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, is facing hours-long delays due to the ongoing shutdown.
The airport's official X account warned travelers to arrive two to three hours before their scheduled departure time earlier this week due to a "shortage of TSA workers" at its security checkpoints owing to "impacts from the federal government's partial shutdown."
"The recent chaos at my airport in New Orleans, and airports across the country, is impossible to miss — wait times longer than three hours, lines stretching out to the parking lot," Scalise said. "It’s ridiculous, shameful, and it never should have happened."
Scalise said his office was in contact with airport staff about the issue, and that they are concerned about their own welfare as the shutdown continues.
"They’re worried about the impact the shutdown will have on TSA employees and the ability for the airport to get travelers through security and make their flights in a timely fashion," he said. "This is the third time in six months that TSA agents are being forced to worry about missing a paycheck because Washington Democrats keep using them as leverage."
The airport in New Orleans is not the only one battling staffing issues because of the shutdown.
TRUMP URGES CONGRESS TO PASS SAVE AMERICA ACT, FULLY FUND DHS AS TSA WORKERS GO WITHOUT PAY
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas urged travelers to arrive earlier than planned due to fewer airport …
Who's accountable for the results?
EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is hammering Democrats over the partial government shutdown as its effects begin to hit millions of travelers at airports across the country.
"This is expected to be one of the busiest spring travel seasons on record. Over 171 million travelers are estimated to fly in the coming weeks, and they expect the agencies responsible for keeping them safe to be fully operational," Scalise told Fox News Digital.
"The longer Democrats hold the Department of Homeland Security hostage, the longer they’re forcing [Transportation Security Administration (TSA)] agents to work without pay and the worse the pain will be that Democrats inflict on regular Americans."
It comes as TSA agents, whose agency operates under DHS, are set to miss their first full paychecks next week. And with Democrats continuing to withhold the department's funding in protest of President Donald Trump's handling of illegal immigration, the standoff still has no clear end in sight.
STEVE SCALISE RIPS DEMOCRATS FOR 'PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES' WITH DHS SHUTDOWN AMID IRAN THREAT
Scalise's own hometown travel hub, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, is facing hours-long delays due to the ongoing shutdown.
The airport's official X account warned travelers to arrive two to three hours before their scheduled departure time earlier this week due to a "shortage of TSA workers" at its security checkpoints owing to "impacts from the federal government's partial shutdown."
"The recent chaos at my airport in New Orleans, and airports across the country, is impossible to miss — wait times longer than three hours, lines stretching out to the parking lot," Scalise said. "It’s ridiculous, shameful, and it never should have happened."
Scalise said his office was in contact with airport staff about the issue, and that they are concerned about their own welfare as the shutdown continues.
"They’re worried about the impact the shutdown will have on TSA employees and the ability for the airport to get travelers through security and make their flights in a timely fashion," he said. "This is the third time in six months that TSA agents are being forced to worry about missing a paycheck because Washington Democrats keep using them as leverage."
The airport in New Orleans is not the only one battling staffing issues because of the shutdown.
TRUMP URGES CONGRESS TO PASS SAVE AMERICA ACT, FULLY FUND DHS AS TSA WORKERS GO WITHOUT PAY
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas urged travelers to arrive earlier than planned due to fewer airport …
171 million travelers face airport delays as Democrats' DHS shutdown hits TSA staffing, Scalise warns
Who's accountable for the results?
EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is hammering Democrats over the partial government shutdown as its effects begin to hit millions of travelers at airports across the country.
"This is expected to be one of the busiest spring travel seasons on record. Over 171 million travelers are estimated to fly in the coming weeks, and they expect the agencies responsible for keeping them safe to be fully operational," Scalise told Fox News Digital.
"The longer Democrats hold the Department of Homeland Security hostage, the longer they’re forcing [Transportation Security Administration (TSA)] agents to work without pay and the worse the pain will be that Democrats inflict on regular Americans."
It comes as TSA agents, whose agency operates under DHS, are set to miss their first full paychecks next week. And with Democrats continuing to withhold the department's funding in protest of President Donald Trump's handling of illegal immigration, the standoff still has no clear end in sight.
STEVE SCALISE RIPS DEMOCRATS FOR 'PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES' WITH DHS SHUTDOWN AMID IRAN THREAT
Scalise's own hometown travel hub, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, is facing hours-long delays due to the ongoing shutdown.
The airport's official X account warned travelers to arrive two to three hours before their scheduled departure time earlier this week due to a "shortage of TSA workers" at its security checkpoints owing to "impacts from the federal government's partial shutdown."
"The recent chaos at my airport in New Orleans, and airports across the country, is impossible to miss — wait times longer than three hours, lines stretching out to the parking lot," Scalise said. "It’s ridiculous, shameful, and it never should have happened."
Scalise said his office was in contact with airport staff about the issue, and that they are concerned about their own welfare as the shutdown continues.
"They’re worried about the impact the shutdown will have on TSA employees and the ability for the airport to get travelers through security and make their flights in a timely fashion," he said. "This is the third time in six months that TSA agents are being forced to worry about missing a paycheck because Washington Democrats keep using them as leverage."
The airport in New Orleans is not the only one battling staffing issues because of the shutdown.
TRUMP URGES CONGRESS TO PASS SAVE AMERICA ACT, FULLY FUND DHS AS TSA WORKERS GO WITHOUT PAY
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas urged travelers to arrive earlier than planned due to fewer airport …
