As travelers across the country face increasingly long security lines, the political fight in Washington over funding for the Department of Homeland Security is spilling over into everyday travel.
TSA agents responsible for screening millions of passengers each day have been working without pay during the shutdown, raising concerns about staffing levels and wait times at airports.
Those pressures have fueled growing frustration across the transportation system, particularly as security personnel remain on the job despite missing paychecks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to discuss transportation innovation and the policy challenges facing Washington, but the conversation quickly turned to the government funding standoff and its impact on airport security operations.
“Stuart, what the hell is going on?… We’re in war with Iran. Joe Biden let thousands, millions of people into this country. We don’t know who they are. Now more than ever, we need to fund the Department of Homeland Security,” Duffy said.
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The transportation secretary also pointed to the financial strain facing TSA workers who continue reporting for duty while going without pay.
“The fact that you have TSA agents, they don’t make a lot of money… They can’t go without… multiple paychecks and think they can pay their mortgage, pay their rent, put food on the table,” Duffy said.
Duffy argued that the political stalemate in Washington is directly affecting both federal workers and travelers moving through the nation’s airports.
“It’s unacceptable, Chuck Schumer has to get off the political bandwagon and start being on the American bandwagon and funding the Department of Homeland Security,” Duffy said.
He added that passengers frustrated by long airport security lines should make their concerns known to lawmakers.
“Everyone who stands in that line, they should all call or email Chuck Schumer’s office. Say, ‘Get this done, Chuck,’” Duffy said.
The funding standoff continues as TSA agents remain on the job and travelers move through airports nationwide.
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