Your local airport could get shut down if Congress doesn't agree on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Transportation Security Administration officers missed their first full paycheck last week, and security lines at airports stretched well outside the terminals at some facilities as security employees called out to seek other sources of income. Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl told Fox News during an interview on "Fox & Friends" that if the situation doesn't improve, some smaller airports may be forced to shut down. "As the weeks continue, if this continues, it's not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports – particularly smaller ones if callout rates go up," Stahl said. The current partial government shutdown primarily affects funding for DHS, which houses the TSA. The partial government shutdown has forced 50,000 TSA airport security officers to work without pay for the last month, and 10% of them did not show up for work on Sunday, March 15. TSA officers have said they're struggling to make ends meet after their first missed paycheck.
Published: March 17, 2026 5:30 pm
Source: USA Today — Read original