President Trump said Thursday he will sign an executive order that directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to pay Transportation Security Administration workers as Congress remains deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The White House characterized the move as a response to an "emergency situation" — a phrase the president used in outlining the rationale for the order — citing lapses in airport security and heavier travel volumes associated with spring break that left thousands of travelers stranded at major airports.
In a social media post, the president announced the forthcoming order but did not specify which legal authorities or statutory powers he would invoke to authorize payments to TSA staff.
Negotiations in the Senate have so far failed to produce a DHS funding bill. While Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage in the chamber, advancing a funding measure will require 60 votes, creating a procedural hurdle that both parties are confronting as they try to reach a compromise.
Democrats blocked DHS funding last month as part of efforts to press for tighter rules governing immigration-enforcement tactics. Those efforts intensified after the killing of two Americans by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, a development that led Democrats to seek new restrictions on enforcement activities as a condition for approving funding.
The president has previously deployed ICE agents to major airports earlier this month with the stated aim of alleviating disruptions tied to TSA staffing lapses. The administration’s new order is presented as a stopgap to ensure those performing security screening are paid while lawmakers attempt to resolve the underlying funding impasse.
Lawmakers from both parties are continuing discussions aimed at settling DHS appropriations, but the contours of any agreement and the timetable for resolution remain unclear. The executive order represents an executive-branch effort to address immediate operational concerns at airports while legislative negotiations continue.
Summary: The president will sign an executive order directing DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to pay TSA agents to address airport security lapses and surging spring break travel demand amid a stalled congressional funding debate.