Trump Administration Acts on TSA Pay Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown
Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing the Department of Homeland Security to immediately compensate Transportation Security Administration agents, as a partial government shutdown persists into its 42nd day. This move comes amid stalled negotiations in Congress, where House Republicans have rejected a Senate-approved deal to fund key DHS subagencies, including the TSA.
Congressional Deadlock Over Homeland Security Funding
House Republicans have also turned down legislation passed by the Senate that would finance most of the Department of Homeland Security while withholding funds from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and part of Customs and Border Protection. This rejection jeopardizes efforts to end the shutdown, which has resulted in thousands of DHS employees missing paychecks and travelers facing significant delays at airport security checkpoints nationwide.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, alongside Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, emphasized that House Democrats support the Senate bill to fund the majority of DHS. Jeffries stated, "House Democrats are prepared to support the bill to end the Trump Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security," accusing House Republicans of being the primary obstacle to resolving the airport chaos.
Cybersecurity Breach and International Tensions
In a separate development, Iran-linked hackers reportedly infiltrated the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel, releasing photographs and documents online. Both the hackers and the bureau confirmed the breach on Friday.
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Washington's operation against Iran is expected to conclude within "weeks, not months," despite ongoing regional violence and threats from Israel to escalate attacks. Rubio commented after meeting with G7 foreign ministers in France, predicting that Iran will emerge weaker from the conflict.
