CEOs of Nation’s Leading Airlines Publish Open Letter Pressing Democrats to Open Government

The pain the Democrats are inflicting on the American people – out of pure spite – is largely being ignored by the Democrat media complex. While Americans stand for hours in snaking TSA lines, the media runs cover.

ABC News did a segment on the 4+ hours travelers are forced to wait on security lines without ever mentioning that the reason for these delays is the Democrat government shutdown.

One month into the partial government shutdown, hundreds of TSA workers going without full pay have quit, while others have taken unscheduled time off, prompting more travel headaches as a winter storm slams the Midwest. https://t.co/RNTcIu5eg0

— ABC Miami (@ABCMiami18) March 16, 2026

On Friday, our TSA workers got a $0 paycheck. From the letter signed by 10 CEOs: There are very few issues upon which 9 out of 10 Americans agree. However, in recent polling, 93 percent of your constituents across the country supported paying federal aviation workers during government shutdowns. Furthermore, 88 percent of Americans said long lines and extended wait times at airport security checkpoints are likely to be repeated if TSA officers continue to work without pay during future shutdowns…. It’s past time for the government to make sure that TSA officers, U.S. Customs clearance officers at airports and air traffic controllers are paid for the job they do (Airlines).

The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal: As the lines at airport security get worse, frustrated travelers should know who’s to blame: Sen. Chuck Schumer. Democrats have refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security, producing a shutdown that now has dragged on for a month. TSA airport screeners are calling out of work, since they aren’t getting paid. The Transportation Security Administration’s nationwide absence rate on March 6 was 8%, according to agency figures obtained last week by CBS, but in some places it has been much higher. “At Houston’s Hobby Airport,” the network reported, “53% of officers called out on March 8, with 47% calling out the following day.” The wait hit three hours. Other TSA workers are outright quitting, and it’s hard to blame them. They received a partial paycheck last month. Then on payday last week they got nothing. This financial hardship arrives only months after last fall’s shutdown, when Mr. Schumer didn’t reopen the government for a record 43 days. Do Democrats think TSA staff should simply put up with this treatment? (Wall Street Journal).

Alabama Senator Katie Britt (R): TSA officers have gone 74 days without a paycheck in FY26 because of Democrats’ two shutdowns. This is absolutely unacceptable. Democrats need to end their political posturing, stop using our TSA agents as political pawns, and fully fund DHS (Britt).

Government shutdown is now in its 32^nd day: (Shutdown Tracker).