Trump says he'll sign order to pay TSA agents as Congress struggles to reach funding deal

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 7:07 PM EDT, March 26, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sign an order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents as Congress struggles to reach a deal to end the budget impasse that has jammed airports and left workers without paychecks.

Trump announced his decision in a social media post saying he wanted to quickly stop the “Chaos at the Airports.” “It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!” the president posted.

With pressure mounting, the White House had floated the extraordinary move of invoking a national emergency to pay TSA workers while senators reviewed a “last and final” offer from Republicans to Democrats to end the funding impasse. Details of the president’s plan were not immediately available, but a national emergency declaration would be politically fraught and almost certain to face legal challenges. Instead, the president may simply be shifting money from other sources.

Democrats have been refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security as they demand changes to rein in Trump’s immigration enforcement operations. The Senate came to a standstill and senators, ready to leave town for their own spring break, had prepared to stay all night to reach a deal.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/airport-delays-wait-times-shutdown-congress-tsa-b419e989a22dbc028d01cbd892fadb40

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ILLEGAL.

Article I

(snip)

Section 9.

(snip)

No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law; and a regular statement and account of receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.

(snip)

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei

Article updated.

Original article -

Updated 6:43 PM EDT, March 26, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sign an emergency order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents as Congress struggles to reach a deal to end the budget impasse that has jammed airports and left workers without paychecks.

Trump announced his decision in a social media post saying he wanted to quickly stop the "Chaos at the Airports." "It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!" the president posted.

With pressure mounting, the White House had floated the extraordinary move of invoking a national emergency to pay TSA workers while senators reviewed a "last and final" offer to end the funding impasse that has jammed airports and disrupted travel.

Democrats have been refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security as they demand changes to rein in President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement operations. Trump during an event at the White House warned he would step in if Congress failed to act.

[walkingman]

1. They should have done this a month ago. I hope that means everyone will be paid. Shame on the GOP.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. It's a violation of Article I Sect. 9 of the Constitution

Every damn year my agency's employees had to take training that included the "Antideficiency Act".

[walkingman]

7. So the government can spend millions of Kristy Noem ads but not pay the TSA? Or give

Argentina $40B? As far being unconstitutional, so is the POTUS enriching himself and that doesn't seem to matter to ANYONE.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. Congress AUTHORIZED money for ICE in the Brutal Butcher Bill SEPARATE from the regular DHS appropropriation

and that BBB had other funding for DHS outside of their regular appropriations.

But DHS itself and its agencies, DON'T HAVE A FY 2026 APPROPRIATION.

Remember the last shutdown and C.R.? Well when the deadline came for the FY26 appropriations at the end of January, Democrats agreed to fund whoever didn't have an appropriation that was left (other Departments had separate appropriations earlier as standalones or as part of "Minibuses" ) but we were NOT going to give DHS another dime until they fixed ICE.

An agreement was made for a short-term C.R. just for DHS and that has lapsed leaving us where we are today.

[walkingman]

11. Very knowledgeable - Thanks!

[BumRushDaShow]

13. As a retired fed, I have been through several shutdowns

going back before and then through the Gingrich fiasco in '95 - '96 one, where my agency actually had an appropriation but most of the rest didn't and we were coming into a near-empty multi-agency building because everyone else was furloughed (that was the previous "longest shutdown" until 45's first term). I did get furloughed during Cancun Cruz's 17-day "Green Eggs and Ham" shutdown in 2013.

[NH Ethylene]

17. Was that including the Billion he is paying to prevent windmills from being built?

What Congressionally approved fund is that coming from?

[nilram]

2. "Democrats have been refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security"

but REPUBLICANS have been refusing to fund the TSA.

[bluestarone]

4. True, but i consider this to

TSF throwing his own rethugs under the bus!! Democrats need to SHOUT this loud and wide.

[nilram]

6. I'm noting on what the ApNews wrote.

A bunch of ways the action itself isn't going to look good.

[IcyPeas]

3. Lets all praise Markwayne mullin 🤬

Democrats introduced 8 bills to pay TSA and Trump told Congress he wouldn't sign them without the SAVE Act, but ok

— Mueller, She Wrote (@muellershewrote.com) 2026-03-26T22:49:00.526Z

[groundloop]

8. In my most humble opinion this is good news for Democrats

It seems to me that chaos at airports was one of the few bargaining chips that the GQP had to try and force Democrats' hand. This leverage is being taken away (until TACO tRump changes his mind again).

But then again I might be all wet, it's been known to happen.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Trump moves to bypass Congress to pay TSA agents as airport chaos drags on

This action will not stand up in court

President Donald Trump announced Thursday he would try to bypass Congress and unilaterally order TSA agents paid amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding crisis after 40 days of airport chaos failed to produce a deal with Democrats.

— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-03-26T23:10:19Z

https://www.rawstory.com/smartnews/donald-trump-dhs/

President Donald Trump announced Thursday he would try to bypass Congress and unilaterally order TSA agents paid amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding crisis after 40 days of airport chaos failed to produce a deal with Democrats.

In a characteristic Truth Social screed, Trump framed the move as a heroic act of executive authority while simultaneously blasting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats for the crisis. His own demands to tie DHS funding to his voter ID bill blew up negotiations earlier this week.

"The Radical Left Democrats, and their 'Leader,' Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, have made it very clear where they stand, and that is, ON THE SIDE OF CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, AND NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. They are refusing to fund Immigration Enforcement unless the Republicans agree to their Open Border Policies, which will never, ever happen again. They almost destroyed our Country, allowing 25 Million People to enter from Prisons, Mental Institutions, and Insane Asylums, those that are Drug Dealers, and thousands of Murderers, many of whom killed more than one person," Trump said, repeating an array of false and misleading claims.....

The announcement comes after TSA agents missed multiple paychecks, wait times at some airports topped four hours, and Senate Republicans publicly expressed frustration with the president's handling of the impasse. Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) called Trump's demands "impossible," while Sen. Cynthia Lummis admitted she had "no idea" how the standoff would end.

[FakeNoose]

12. Enough is enough! The TSA employees were all going to be paid, but this can't go on forever

I believe every TSA employee will be paid for every hour worked including overtime. This is what has been done for essential employees in every federal shutdown, regardless of the presidential administration.

Chump pulled this shit with TSA for 2 reasons:
(1) he wants to break their union, and
(2) he's been grifting off the ICE funds but he can't touch the TSA funds. So that's why he didn't want to take money out of ICE's kitty to pay TSA salaries.

Has it all backfired on Chump? Of course it has. But he doesn't give a shit.

If only the Democratic leaders in Congress could come right out and say exactly what I just explained above. But they never will.

[bluestarone]

14. This is a bunch of bullshit, for sure. BUT

what happens if they start paying them?

[BumRushDaShow]

16. It's just like the tariffs fiasco that the SCOTUS slapped down

A bullshit declaration of "an emergency" in order to end-run around Congress.

This is what many are afraid of with respect to the elections - some bullshit "declaration of an emergency" and (fill in the blank draconian next steps).

I feel sorry for anyone working in their fiscal/admin group.

[Norrrm]

15. If Trump believes that he can order TSA paid, then he lies to say Democrats are holding the country hostage.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. So long as it comes out of Ice's budget.