Let Them Eat Cake: Democrats Admit Hurting TSA Workers While Feeling None of the Pain

TSA officers keep showing up to work even though they haven’t seen a full paycheck in weeks. Many have now missed several paychecks during this Department of Homeland Security funding standoff.

American travelers are spending hours in security check lines and missing flights because the Democrats are refusing to fund the DHS.

And now the Democrats are admitting their refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security is “making people hurt.”

Axios reported:

House Democrats are launching a Hail Mary push to effectively end the Department of Homeland Security’s now month-long shutdown by funding all of its sub-agencies except ICE and Customs and Border Protection.

Why it matters: Democrats are feeling the heat as federal workers miss paychecks and DHS warns of airport closures. They hope their planned discharge petition will, at the very least, deflect blame onto Republicans.

• Many lawmakers also question whether keeping the agency shut down is meaningfully incentivizing the White House to negotiate in good faith on immigration enforcement reforms.
• “It’s not forcing any change,” said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.). “In the meantime, we’re making people hurt. The long lines, that can’t make us more popular.”
• “We’re on the right side on ICE, but not on the rest.”

Rent is still due, groceries aren’t free, and bills don’t care that Washington can’t reach a deal. These dedicated men and women continue to scan bags and check passengers so Americans can fly safely, all while their bank accounts run dry.

Over 260,000 DHS employees face that reality right now, while over 61,000 of them work for the TSA. Hundreds have already quit as the pressure builds. Lines at airports stretch longer every day as spring break travel ramps up across the country. Families trying to catch flights end up paying for decisions made far away from the terminal.