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The Trump administration is escalating pressure on Senate Democrats as negotiations to end the partial government shutdown remain at a standstill.
The partial government shutdown, which is only affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), entered its second week on Monday. So far, the impacts of the shutdown have been minimal, but the pain could be coming soon as the agency activates “emergency measures” while the shutdown drags on.
DHS announced over the weekend it would be making tweaks to some Transportation Security Administration (TSA) functions that could lead to longer wait times for passengers and lawmakers alike.
“Shutdowns have real-world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.”
The agency announced that, for now, TSA PreCheck would stay operational after a back-and-forth over whether to continue the program during the shutdown. The program is used by more than 20 million people to speed up wait times at airports across the country, according to the agency. However, courtesy escorts for members of Congress have been suspended.
“At this time, TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,” a spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital. “As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly.”
DHS SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS WITHOUT PAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO AIRPORTS AND DISASTER RESPONSE
Much of the real pain that could come from a prolonged shutdown will have to do with TSA agents missing paychecks. That became a major factor during the historic 43-day shutdown last fall that saw wait times skyrocket and flight cancellations compound by the day.
Some Republicans believe it will take that kind of disruption to get Democrats to reverse course on their current position.
“Nothing’s going to happen here until flights get shut down, right? When TSA workers stop showing up,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “When the Democrats, you know, can’t fly, then they’ll give in. I mean, they don’t care, because they’re being paid.”
Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House are gridlocked in their ongoing back-and-forth over a compromise to fund the agency.
DEMOCRATS RISK FEMA DISASTER FUNDING COLLAPSE AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS DAY 5
Schumer and his caucus want more stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following deadly shootings in Minnesota amid immigration operations. The White House has so far been willing to entertain some of the changes they’ve proposed, but Republicans have drawn red lines on imposing judicial warrant requirements and unmasking agents, among other provisions.
That means a bulk of the agency is going without funding as both sides continue to butt heads, given that ICE and some immigration enforcement functions are flush with funding from the “big, beautiful bill.”
The tweaks to TSA are not the only steps DHS has taken to implement emergency measures during the shutdown.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has halted Global Entry at airports and diverted agents to instead help process travelers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also stopped all public assistance for ongoing disasters, paused non-emergency work, halted non-disaster-related activities and restricted personnel travel to activities “strictly necessary to respond to active disasters and life-safety emergencies,” according to the agency.
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