Paying Our Great Transportation Security Administration Officers and Employees

This presidential action directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget to secure emergency compensation for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees working through an ongoing lapse in federal funding. The memorandum formally declares the current staffing and wait-time issues at domestic airports a national security emergency, and authorizes the repurposing of available funds that have a logical connection to TSA operations to cover accrued employee pay and benefits. This directive aims to directly alleviate severe bottlenecks and security vulnerabilities caused by high rates of TSA staff absences and resignations by ensuring that over 60,000 security personnel receive their paychecks despite the broader departmental shutdown, the administration intends to stabilize airport operations and reduce security wait times that have stretched to several hours. Once standard legislative funding for the Department of Homeland Security is eventually restored, the agencies are required to adjust their internal accounts to align with legally planned expenditures prior to the lapse.