Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he expects the shutdown to get “much worse” as the Transportation Security Administration, which conducts airport screenings, remains unpaid amid the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS shutdown began on Feb. 14, and Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are feuding over funding for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Duffy said the next paycheck “should come” on Friday, and more TSA officers will choose to either quit or not show up to work if the shutdown isn’t resolved by then.
INSANE! Ridiculous lines and wait times at Atlanta international Airport earlier this morning.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 22, 2026
Duffy also said most TSA salaries start around $50,000, making it hard for TSA officers to make ends meet. He added that receiving no paychecks only increases the pressure these workers face.
“So I do think it‘s going to get much worse, and as it gets worse, I think that puts pressure on the Congress to come to a resolution,” Duffy said on ABC News’s This Week Sunday. “Democrats have to say, ‘You know what? We‘re not going to defund this. We‘re going to actually work together, have some commonsense reform that the president will work with us on, and let‘s get America working again.’”
“And the last thing you want as you travel is to deal with political fights at the airport. Let that stay in Congress, but don‘t extract pain out of me and my family as I‘m trying to just go to Florida and get some sun on my bones during spring break with my kids,” Duffy said.
Duffy added that he hasn’t seen an increase in airline tickets since the beginning of the war in Iran, but emphasized that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the price of oil could go up to $170, which could increase airline tickets.
Duffy also said people should give President Donald Trump “grace,” adding that Trump cares about the economy, gas prices, and peace around the world.
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS UNION TRASHES TRUMP’S ICE AIRPORT PLOY
Senate Republicans voted against a last-ditch effort from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to fund TSA on Saturday.
Trump said Saturday that he will deploy ICE officers to airports on Monday if Congress does not fund DHS. Border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that ICE officers would not replace TSA officers, but instead fill gaps created by staffing shortages.