WASHINGTON — The Senate failed to fund the Department of Homeland Security on Friday, as airline passengers fought through lengthy lines and a growing number of Transportation Security Administration employees began calling out sick.
Only 84 senators showed up for the fifth attempted vote to reopen DHS, which failed to clear a 60-vote threshold or even a simple majority — and fell largely along party lines.
Forty-six Republicans and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted to fund DHS, while 37 Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) opposed its reopening in protest of President Trump’s immigration agenda.
“My impression, at least up until now, is this is all about politics for Chuck Schumer and the Democrats,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said. “The far-left base is demanding, again, that they fight the president.”
Republican and Democratic leaders and negotiators have acknowledged they’re still far from a deal on immigration enforcement reforms for the beleaguered agency 35 days into the shutdown.
Meanwhile, TSA agents have lost out on paychecks and begun calling out sick or quitting, prompting unions representing the federal employees to get involved.
“A TSO selling plasma to keep the lights on is unconscionable,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “Tens of thousands of families turning to food banks because Congress refuses to do its job is a national disgrace.”
Talks between Trump’s border czar Tom Homan and Democrats took place Thursday night — but led to no breakthroughs. More discussion with Homan is expected Friday evening.
“The White House outlined an entire list of bipartisan solutions,” added Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). “They include expanding the use of body cameras for officers and making IDs for officers clearly visible. Democrats have rejected all our good faith offers. They’ve rejected bipartisan solutions.”
“Senate Democrats have repeatedly offered to fund TSA without tying it to ICE funding, only for Republicans to block it each time,” Schumer said.
“TSA agents could be paid, and airport lines could end right away if Republicans stop holding TSA hostage and vote yes,” he added. “The President fired Kristi Noem because he agrees with Democrats — ICE is out of control and a threat to public safety at large.”
Republicans have blocked moves by Democrats to offer legislation funding TSA at least six times — as well as other agencies separately — while avoiding funding ICE.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has said the GOP “should accept the Democrats’ offer to open up TSA” and other agencies instead of the entire department — and then pass the rest of the funding for ICE and immigration enforcement through a budget reconciliation bill.
“It is a fact that the Karen wing of the Democratic Party is in ascendency, and it is firmly in control,” he quipped. “I’m convinced that listening to the same thing over and over and over again is lowering my IQ when we know that nothing is going to resolve this because my Democratic friends politically can’t agree to a compromise about ICE.”
Almost 10% of TSA agents were off the job nationwide on Thursday, per the latest agency data. As many as 28.7% were absent from JFK Airport and 15.9% weren’t at LaGuardia — leading to long wait times at checkpoints.
Unions protecting federal workers have expressed frustrations with both parties for the prolonged shutdown, which could surpass the 43-day closure of the entire government last fall.
“Members of Congress have walked past our TSA members at airport security checkpoints more often than they’ve met to negotiate an end to this stalemate,” Kelley also said. “The time for excuses is over. Pass a measure to reopen DHS, pay these workers, and don’t go home until you do.”
