TSA Workers See Relief As Senate Passes Funding Package

(KMDL-FM) In the wee hours of Friday morning, the United States Senate voted unanimously to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. The department has been shut down for the past 40 days. The chaos created by that shutdown has angered many Americans and created economic anxiety for thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers.

READ MORE: Lafayette Airport Goes 'Viral' During Government Shutdown

The Senators approved the funding package shortly after 1 AM Louisiana time. The measure did not include funding for immigration enforcement and deportation operations. Still, President Trump is on record as saying he would sign a measure to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration officers.

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How Long Have TSA Agents Been Working without Pay?

Many of those TSA agents have been working without a paycheck during the entire 40 days of the government shutdown. Other agents did not report for work because of the lack of pay. This shortage in trained TSA personnel has led to many well-documented security nightmares at airports around the country.

If there is a bright spot to the political confusion and chaos created by the partial government shutdown, it would be that in many communities, local citizens have conducted gift card and meal drives to support the families of those TSA agents who were still reporting for work. The hope was that the gift cards and meals could help supplement some of the income that was lost because of the political stalemate.

What Happens Next in Solving The TSA/Airport Security Crisis?

While the Senate has spoken, the measure could still be restructured, rewritten, or ignored altogether by members of the House of Representatives. It will be up to members of the House to pass the measure before it can go to the President's desk.

The fact that President Trump has indicated he would sign a measure in order to pay TSA agents might help corral the support needed to get the measure passed by the House, despite misgivings among many conservatives in that body about the splitting of ICE funding from the proposal.

READ MORE: Acadiana Residents Rally Around TSA Agents, Offer Support

The issues surrounding the Department of Homeland Security and what is funded and what is not are far from being resolved. However, the issue of paying TSA agents and keeping America's air transportation infrastructure up and running appears to be in a better place this morning than it was yesterday morning.

Expect updates to this story throughout the next several days as the House, the Senate, and the President continue to work toward solving the situation in the nation's airports while maintaining safe and secure borders for the country.