WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) – Long lines were reported at major airports on Wednesday as the Transportation Security Administration said the number of airport security officers quitting had jumped to more than 480 since the mid-February start of a partial government shutdown.
Ha McNeill, the senior official at the Transportation Security Administration, told a U.S. House committee that the dispute that has forced 50,000 TSA officers to work without pay was leading to major strains and the longest lines in the agency’s history. She reiterated that the TSA could be forced to close smaller airports if staffing issues worsened.
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Senate Republicans and Democrats continue to debate a proposal that would allow funding to resume for TSA and other Department of Homeland Security agencies.
McNeill noted that 1,110 TSA officers quit during the 2025 shutdown.
TSA is grappling with the school spring break travel surge and experiencing about 5% higher travel volume than last year. Absences have spiked to more than 10% in recent days, which has led to passengers waiting for more than four hours to get through security checkpoints at some airports.
McNeill said some TSA agents were
Long lines reported at major US airports as more TSA officers quit
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