Issues with funding for the Department of Homeland Security are resurfacing, along with another round of airport concerns.
The Department of Homeland Security could run out of money to pay workers by early May.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that TSA agents and other employees will not get paychecks if Congress does not act. As TSA employees went weeks without paychecks, many agents stopped reporting to work, causing long lines at airport security lines.
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“So, the money is going extremely fast, and once that happens, there is no emergency funds after that,” Mullin said during an interview with “Fox & Friends.” “The president can’t do another executive order for us to use money, because there’s no more money there.”
Workers are currently being paid through President Donald Trump’s domestic policy bill, but those funds are running out. The department has gone without funding from Congress for nearly two months.
Senate Republicans want to use reconciliation to pass new funding. That would require just 51 votes to pass, but it would face scrutiny from the Senate's parliamentarian.
Democrats have blocked funding for DHS, citing concerns over policies involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They have called for agents to operate without masks, display identification and avoid enforcement actions near “sensitive locations” such as hospitals and schools.
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