At One Airport, 40% of TSA Agents Called Out

Travelers at several major US airports are facing a new kind of turbulence: The screeners aren't showing up. More than 40% of Transportation Security Administration officers at Houston's William P. Hobby Airport skipped work on Tuesday, with similarly high no-show rates in New Orleans (about 36%) and Atlanta (upward of 34%), according to TSA data cited by CBS News. The surge in absences comes as TSA employees miss paychecks amid a partial government shutdown that has left the Department of Homeland Security unfunded. "The morale is getting worse by the day, because no one knows when this is gonna end," says Cameron Cochems, a lead TSA officer in Boise who argues that the political stalemate is "ruining people's lives."

The impact is showing up in lengthy security lines and shuttered checkpoints—in one notable example, half of Philadelphia's TSA lanes were closed on Wednesday. One traveler in Atlanta said he arrived five hours early for a 45-minute flight. Adam Stahl, TSA's acting deputy administrator, warned that if callouts keep climbing, "there could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports," calling the situation a serious one. DOT chief Sean Duffy, meanwhile, told CNBC on Thursday morning that the airport chaos we're seeing now "is going to look like child's play" if the shutdown isn't remedied soon, per Business Insider.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Trump's new selection for Homeland Security secretary, has urged Congress to fund the department and "set the partisan side down." CNN notes that each side of the aisle is pointing fingers at the other. GOP Sen. Katie Britt accuses Democrats of using TSA agents as "political pawns" by refusing to funnel money to DHS unless ICE and CBP are left out of that funding picture. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, on the other hand, notes, "Republicans would rather keep DHS shut down than work with Democrats to prevent more Americans from being killed by masked federal agents." The AP has some tips for those who may be flying soon to ensure a smoother departure—including having "a Plan B—and maybe even C, D, and E."