Major travel groups and airlines are pushing US lawmakers to reach a deal on government funding ahead of a partial shutdown, arguing it could lead to travel chaos during spring break.
Several groups, including Airlines for America, stated in a joint statement that without a deal, the risk of unscheduled absences by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers would increase, potentially causing flight delays and longer wait times.
Travellers and the US economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, they emphasized.
A partial government shutdown is set to begin at midnight (05:00 GMT) on Saturday after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In exchange for a funding deal, Democrats had been advocating for more restrictions on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which will not be significantly affected by the shutdown due to prior funding measures.
Democrats have been demanding reforms following the fatal incidents involving federal agents and two Minnesota residents protesting immigration raids earlier this year.
On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked two funding bills lacking immigration reforms. The prior funding measure had only extended DHS funding for two weeks while negotiations continued.
President Trump, when asked if he expected to reach a deal with Democrats, stated, we'll see what happens, adding, We always have to protect our law enforcement. The looming shutdown is anticipated to impact various agencies under DHS, including the US Coast Guard and TSA.
Last year's government shutdown was the longest in history, spanning 43 days and resulting in significant flight disruptions and federal worker pay issues. Congress is set to recess until February 23, which might prolong the shutdown until after Trump's State of the Union address.
Nonetheless, the current partial shutdown is not expected to disrupt travel as severely as last year, mainly because the FAA, which oversees air traffic controllers, has already secured funding for the entire year.
However, TSA agents may face pay issues if the shutdown extends, leading to increased wait times at airports if workers call in sick. The Coast Guard may also forgo missions deemed non-critical if funding is delayed, affecting 56,000 workers.
Despite the circumstances, DHS does have access to $165 billion from Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act to mitigate some funding shortfalls.
