President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he’s ordering the Department of Homeland Security to “immediately pay our TSA agents” amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The DHS shutdown began more than 40 days ago after lawmakers failed to reach a deal on funding the agency.
Since then, TSA agents have been working without pay, which has led to staffing shortages and long security lines in airports nationwide.
open image in gallery The ongoing DHS shutdown has led to massive security lines at airports across the U.S. ( Getty ).
This comes after the White House turned down an offer from billionaire Elon Musk to pay TSA agents during the funding lapse.
Angela Grana, a TSA agent in Colorado, told CBS News she’s feeling “deflated” and “demoralized” amid the shutdown.
Republicans gave Democrats their “last and final” offer to end the shutdown on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters. »