TSA Workers Miss First Full Paycheck as Shutdown Drags

TSA workers are about to be out a full pay period's compensation, and the political fight behind it shows no sign of breaking. On Friday, airport screeners will miss their first complete paycheck of the latest Homeland Security shutdown, even as they're required to keep manning checkpoints, the Hill reports. Democrats say they're OK with funding most of the DHS, but they're refusing to sign off on money for ICE and Customs and Border Protection without changes to how those agencies operate. Republicans call the conditions unacceptable and accuse Democrats of walking away from talks.

On the ground, the impact is mounting: More than 300 TSA officers have resigned since the shutdown began, unscheduled absences have increased more than twofold, and some airports are telling travelers to arrive as many as five hours before their plane takes off. The AP notes that last weekend, security lines were so long that they were overflowing into baggage claim areas and even airport parking garages.

Union officials and airport executives describe TSA officers sleeping in cars, working side gigs, and even donating plasma to cover basics like gas. "These are paycheck-to-paycheck jobs," says Todd Hauptli, CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives, warning that longer lines and worse delays are likely before Congress blinks. Axios reports that some airports are taking matters into their own hands, opening up food pantries for TSA workers and asking the public to donate grocery and gas gift cards to them.

NBC News talks to a 58-year-old dad of three who works at the airport in Syracuse, New York and is facing eviction, has no car at the moment (he couldn't afford to replace his vehicle's broken transmission during the last government shutdown), and is worried about his wife, who's on the list for a kidney donation. "I don't have a way of getting her ... to Rochester if a kidney becomes available," Anthony Riley tells the news outlet. "Right now I'm doing everything I can to keep my family from being kicked out on the street."