171 million travelers face airport delays as Democrats' DHS shutdown hits TSA staffing, Scalise warns
The No. 2 House leader said airport staff are 'worried' about the shutdown
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published March 11, 2026 11:07am EDT
Chris Sununu warns airport delays worsening due to TSA shortages, government shutdown
EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is hammering Democrats over the partial government shutdown as its effects begin to hit millions of travelers at airports across the country.
"This is expected to be one of the busiest spring travel seasons on record. Over 171 million travelers are estimated to fly in the coming weeks, and they expect the agencies responsible for keeping them safe to be fully operational," Scalise told Fox News Digital.
"The longer Democrats hold the Department of Homeland Security hostage, the longer they’re forcing [Transportation Security Administration (TSA)] agents to work without pay and the worse the pain will be that Democrats inflict on regular Americans."
It comes as TSA agents, whose agency operates under DHS, are set to miss their first full paychecks next week. And with Democrats continuing to withhold the department's funding in protest of President Donald Trump's handling of illegal immigration, the standoff still has no clear end in sight.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/171-million-travelers-face-airport-delays-democrats-dhs-shutdown-hits-tsa-staffing-scalise-warns
