WASHINGTON, D.C. — The clock is ticking on Capitol Hill as lawmakers race to end a partial government shutdown that’s now putting major pressure on airports nationwide.
With spring break travel ramping up, the impact of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown is on full display. If the stalemate continues, lawmakers could soon be joining travelers in those lines as pressure builds for Congress to act.
The agency that oversees the TSA as well as the Coast Guard and FEMA remains unfunded as negotiations drag into another week.
“This is a disaster,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y.
Republicans say it’s time for Democrats to compromise, calling the current stalemate unsustainable.
“The quickest way we get out of this, is the Senate just come to their senses, stop playing games with the American people,” said Langworthy. “Being caught up as a pawn in a political game by the minority party is absolutely dead wrong.”
Democrats argue that they’ve made several efforts to fund every component of DHS except for ICE. Senate Democrats are expected to introduce another measure this weekend that would pay TSA officers without fully funding DHS.
“We’ve urged the Republicans to allow for funding of everything except for ICE because we want the reforms,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
“Republicans are holding TSA and other agencies paychecks hostage because of ICE. Let’s set ICE aside while we negotiate, and fund everything else today,” said Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
ICE reform is at the center of the nearly 40-day shutdown. Behind closed doors, top Democratic negotiators are working with the White House and border czar Tom Homan, trying to hammer out a deal centered on immigration enforcement.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill could soon feel the same pain as airline passengers. On Thursday, Senate Republicans introduced a measure to revoke expedited airport screening privileges for members of Congress.
“Maybe, just maybe, if Congress has to live under the same laws that everybody else does, it will motivate us to get our work done,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent. If approved by the House and signed into law, members would lose their ability- now and in the future- to skip long TSA lines and receive preferential treatment at airports.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also dialed up the pressure this week by threatening to cancel the upcoming two-week spring recess at the end of next week if no deal is reached.
