The move came after House Republicans rejected a DHS funding bill passed by the Senate.
President Donald Trump on March 27 signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents who have not received a check since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entered a partial shutdown in mid-February.
“I hereby direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations to provide TSA employees with the compensation and benefits that would have accrued to them if not for the Democrat-led DHS shutdown,” the memorandum stated.
The move came in response to long TSA lines at airports around the country and as lawmakers struggled to reach a deal on funding for DHS.
The Senate early Friday passed a measure to fund most of DHS except for its immigration enforcement operations.
But Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said that House Republicans rejected this plan, and the lower chamber will instead vote on a 60-day measure to fund DHS.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
By Jacki Thrapp
