Name: TSA workers share toll of working without pay amid shutdown
Uploaded: 2026-03-19T23:02:25.000Z
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Going to turn now to that other major travel story tonight, the major delays at America's airports as security lines in some cases snake through concourses downstairs, even into baggage areas at times.

Here's senior transportation correspondent Chris Van Cleave.

Arriving at the New Orleans airport Monday morning, only some TSA lines open due to staffing shortages stemming from soaring sick calls.

The line snaking its way through the terminal for a second straight day Sunday, people were in line for hours, stretching out into the parking garage.

I was here three weeks ago during Mardi Gras and it was no problem.

So rather than a 3pm flight, it is now a 8pm flight.

At Houston's Hobby Airport, wait times topped three hours Sunday, and

by Monday, the line was still at least two hours long just to get to security.

Now some airports are telling fliers to get here at least three hours before their flights.

This surge in wait times comes as the airlines are preparing to fly 171 million people for spring break and as a partial government shutdown over the Trump administration's immigration policies enters its fourth week.

The second prolonged government shutdown since October is taking a toll on some of the government's lowest paid workers.

The more than 50,000 TSA officers on the job will miss a full paycheck this week and have no idea when the next one will come driving the spike in sick calls.

With a political stalemate continuing in Washington, a trip to the airport means a flight of uncertainty at airports nationwide.

Tonight, new reports of long lines at several American airports.

This is Newark Liberty International, where flyers experience extended wait times at security.

TSA agents are working without pay and losing patience fast.

CBS Tim McNicholas is there with major problems looming this spring break.

Many TSA workers live paycheck to paycheck.

And this is now the third federal funding lapse in the last year.

This time it's happening during the spring break travel rush.

From Austin, Texas, to Philadelphia, New York City to New Orleans, travelers are running into long security lines and travel headaches.

I might miss the flight and I have a connection to my hometown in Wisconsin.

Federal data shows more than 300 TSA employees have resigned during the Partial shutdown, unscheduled absences have doubled.

The TSA says it's adjusting operations to deal with staffing challenges.

They're going to food banks when they get off work.

Johnny Jones is a TSA officer at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and the secretary treasurer of the union, representing 45,000 TSA officers nationwide.

A lot of people, sometimes middle of next week, they're going to run out of money.

They don't have no way of getting to work.

They won't have a car with gas to drive to work in.

Democrats have refused to approve the Department of Homeland Security's budget unless GOP lawmakers and the White House agree to changes to ICE, including requirements for agents to wear IDs and remove their masks.

Yesterday, DHS began playing this video in airports blaming, quote, the ongoing Democrat shutdown of the TSA for longer than average wait times.

One thing that's pretty consistent that I've heard from the workforce, they are tired of being political pawns in the middle of a tug of war between the political parties that we have running our government.

Jones says even though officers feel demoralized, they are committed still to protecting the flying public.

Now, keep in mind, if you miss your flight due to TSA delays, you are not eligible for a refund that's considered outside the airline's control.

airlines are demanding Congress end a funding standoff and pay its TSA workers.

In a letter, they claim 93% of Americans support paying aviation workers during government shutdowns.

CBS's Tim McNicholas is at Newark International with the latest developments.

People are waiting hours to get through security at some airports and TSA officers say struggling to pay their bills.

Those airline CEOs describe it as unacceptable and many travelers agree.

TSA staffing challenges are colliding with a spring break travel rush made even worse by a weekend snowstorm in the Midwest.

More than 300 TSA officers have resigned since the partial shutdown started and unscheduled absences have doubled, according to the federal government.

President Trump blames the funding lapse on Democrats who refused to approve the Department of Homeland Security's budget unless GOP lawmakers and the White House agree to changes to ICE, including requirements for agents to wear IDs and remove their masks.

Chris Sununu is the CEO of Airlines for America, the trade group that represents the airlines, urging Congress to act.

Have your political fights on the side, but

don't drag down the entire traveling American public because of it.

The TSA says it's adjusting operations to deal with the staffing constraints.

I think the longer it goes, more and more TSOs, as you're called, will call out and not show up for work.

A Union representative for 45,000 TSA officers tells us that some officers are picking up second jobs and even selling plasma to make ends meet.

He says officers are tired of being, quote, political pawns in the middle of a tug of war.

Tens of thousands of TSA agents are not getting paid because of a government shutdown.

Thereabouts of agents called out sick yesterday.

What it means for long lines for safety and security as well.

Today it was fliers at Atlanta's airport suffering through security lines so long they took two and a half hours to navigate.

TSA staffing issues forced one of the airport's checkpoints to close over the weekend.

This was the scene at the Austin, Texas, airport.

TSA sick calls have more than tripled during the shutdown nationally, just as the nation's airlines expect a record 171 million flyers for spring break.

We got here four hours early and we're hoping to make it for sure.

Robert Echeverria worked the TSA checkpoints at the Salt Lake City airport for nine years, but

with no paycheck or end in sight to the latest partial government shutdown, he quit.

He's among more than360 TSA officers who have quit since the shutdown began last month.

The hardest thing is seeing the struggle that my wife was going through and not trying to bring more stress to her, but

seeing her cry every night and seeing her just be emotional and how am I going to feed my family?