The ongoing government shutdown is pushing the nation’s aviation security to a breaking point, according to former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. Speaking Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Johnson warned that the funding standoff is creating a “sheer madness” that threatens the safety of the traveling public.
The gridlock stems from a Democratic filibuster of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding. Lawmakers are seeking new restrictions on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the January fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good during anti-immigration enforcement protests in Minneapolis.
While the political battle centers on ICE, Johnson pointed out that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is bearing the brunt of the financial hit.
“The agencies of DHS that the Democrats are most angry at, CBP and ICE, are actually being funded through discretionary funding, through aggressive reprogramming,” Johnson explained. “The agency of our government that interacts most with the American people, TSA, is not being funded right now.”
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The impact is already visible at major hubs. In Atlanta, the nation’s busiest airport, 40% of TSA officers failed to show up for work this week. With hundreds of officers resigning nationwide, security lines have reportedly stretched to five hours. To mitigate the delays, President Donald Trump has ordered ICE agents to airports to assist TSA staff.
Johnson characterized the situation as a dangerous oversight given current global tensions.
“We are in a heightened threat environment because we have gone to war… against the government of Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism,” he said. “Yet the department of our government that is there to protect the American people is defunded right now and has been defunded for the last month and a half.”
As Congress prepares for spring break, the perks of office are also taking a hit. Delta Air Lines announced Tuesday it is suspending “specialty services” for lawmakers, meaning members of Congress will no longer receive airport escorts or “red coat” VIP treatment.
Johnson noted that while the public waits in line, politicians likely won’t face the same delays. “When they get to the airports, I guarantee you none of them will wait four or five hours,” he said.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on a DHS funding measure Thursday afternoon, though leadership on both sides indicates they remain far from reaching a deal.
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