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General Mar 25, 2026 at 7:58 PM

TSA official says some airports may need to close during shutdown

Posted by RedDalmatian885

https://apnews.com/live/tsa-government-shutdown-ice-03-25-2026
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Lonely_Noyaaa Mar 25, 2026 +5697
TSA officers are expected to show up and work without a paycheck because calling out means losing your job, and now we're being told that might not even be enough to keep the airports open.
5697
wickedsmaht Mar 25, 2026 +1749
In prior shut downs call offs were not punished. Didn’t stop management from threatening but it was all bluster that no one took seriously.
1749
Abefroman12 Mar 25, 2026 +1040
Well what is management going to do to punish an unpaid TSA agent who calls off, fire them? All that does is make the agent shortage worse in the short term.
1040
AntonineWall Mar 25, 2026 +881
I would think that short-sighted would be an apt term for the current US government
881
quats555 Mar 25, 2026 +306
Corporate vision is short-sighted: “Profit next quarter must be higher than this quarter or I don’t get my bonus! Problem because of that? That’s the next CEO’s problem!” And since corporations have louder voices than the general population, that’s extra skewed politicians’ viewpoint too.
306
HorrFrek Mar 25, 2026 +94
Don’t forget the 8 to 9 digit golden parachute
94
Upset_Development_64 Mar 26, 2026 +17
We need a Sustainability Party in American Politics.
17
C1izard Mar 25, 2026 +71
It's not so much "short sighted" in this case as the GOP is bad faith and Trump is unwilling to negotiate because he wants his personal army (ice) to run with impunity and to have his "save act" to try to steal the election. The Democrats were willing to have the department of homeland security funded except for ice (which already was earmarked an insane amount of money) and negotiate reforms for ice funding. Meanwhile Trump could move the money around the department of homeland security until the budget is passed, and the gop could just ignore trump on this.
71
Jae_Rides_Apes Mar 26, 2026 +29
Yeah this is type face font project 2025. Privatization of TSA was always in the plan.
29
CharcoalGreyWolf Mar 25, 2026 +45
The US government is already missing a nose because it thought its face was too pretty.
45
TheForeverUnbanned Mar 25, 2026 +55
Yeah man if I’m in the middle of this all I’m thinking is “I can get not paid at home while finding a better job instead of being jot pad at a short staffed airport” 
55
Squire_II Mar 26, 2026 +17
Finding a job period, let alone a better job, right now is beyond abysmal.
17
Andus35 Mar 25, 2026 +60
That’s probably what those striking ATC members thought under Regan. Not saying it was a good outcome; but the government has shot itself in the foot to prove a point before.
60
Broodking Mar 25, 2026 +48
The outcome was objectively terrible for air travel though. They had to cut a large percentage of flights and had staffing shortages for years. Reagan needed bodies to still man the atc jobs so he used managers, but all of TSA is not funded. Since the military is tied up maybe ICE is the only agency to fill the gap, but they have no training and TSA needs much more manpower.
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Andus35 Mar 25, 2026 +11
Sure. I even said it wasn’t a good outcome. But it’s just an example that “well they can’t fire all of us” doesn’t always hold true.
11
hastalavistabob Mar 25, 2026 +63
Yes because thinking about the longterm has been the priority for a while now in the US /s
63
PianoConcertoNo2 Mar 25, 2026 +10
Would they get unemployment?
10
Wurm42 Mar 25, 2026 +25
In most states, federal employees who aren't getting paid because of a "lapse in appropriations" *can* get unemployment, but when they get back pay after the shutdown ends, they have to pay back the unemployment, sometimes with interest. In the DC area, there are several federal credit unions that will give low- or no-interest loans to member federal employees during shutdowns, then get paid back when the back pay comes through. That's generally a better option, if you have access to one of those credit unions.
25
parricc Mar 26, 2026 +14
I'm not sure how it is in other states, but in Texas, you must be searching and "available to work" to qualify for unemployment insurance. If you are working a full-time job, it does not matter if you get paid or not, you are not considered to be available for work for any prospective jobs. Here, not getting paid is something in the domain of the labor department, not unemployment insurance. A similar situation happened to me personally. I got laid off from a job, and was subsequently offered a new one at another company, which I ended up working at full-time for two months. The new company, however, was dishonest about their monetary situation and never paid me. I ended up quitting it for that reason, and while I was able to get back on unemployment, I was ineligible to collect for anything during that time. Applying for jobs and having interviews was irrelevant. Available meant no prior commitments. In general, states look for any possible reason to disqualify you or delay you from getting paid unemployment insurance.
14
Corellian_Browncoat Mar 25, 2026 +15
I don't think prior shutdowns happened while "reduce the size of the federal workforce" was an explicit line in the President's Management Agenda. The ongoing gutting of the civil service changes the context a little.
15
JeebusChristBalls Mar 25, 2026 +12
It's actually pretty hard to fire a gov employee unless they just straight up break the law and then it depends.
12
txroller Mar 25, 2026 +19
Ya know how the maga right wing works. Still pushing the “it’s a Democrat shutdown “ narrative when they absolutely could of accepted multiple option to keep TSA agents paid
19
Milli_Rabbit Mar 26, 2026 +6
Even when they have the majority it is someone else's fault.
6
Halgy Mar 25, 2026 +7
If there's one thing I trust right now, it's historical norms
7
nordic-nomad Mar 26, 2026 +5
Turns out being fired from a job you’re not being paid for isn’t much of a threat.
5
ShrimpieAC Mar 25, 2026 +459
Meanwhile they have to watch ICE agents from their same department f*** off AND get paid for it.
459
zedkyuu Mar 25, 2026 +146
I’m mostly seeing continued complaints of hours long waits even after ICE supposedly swooped in to save the day. Have they done anything at all?
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ryo3000 Mar 25, 2026 +248
I mean they're not trained or authorized to do any of the tasks TSA does So they just kinda... Stand around  Oh I guess they also probably harass foreigners
248
krw13 Mar 25, 2026 +101
Hey now, they harass Americans too!
101
campelm Mar 25, 2026 +17
Better not make them feel scared of your suitcase running over their toe.
17
PurpleSailor Mar 26, 2026 +16
> So they just kinda... Stand around  Getting the plebs used to seeing the goon squad everywhere.
16
jporter313 Mar 25, 2026 +14
…also Americans that look vaguely Hispanic.
14
Rmoneysoswag Mar 25, 2026 +80
No. Because they're not there to *do* anything, they're just meant to intimidate people into not complaining about the obvious shit show that is entirely the Republicans' fault.
80
blurplethenurple Mar 25, 2026 +56
And to normalize their presence when they start showing up at voting sites.
56
wyvernx02 Mar 25, 2026 +17
Nope. Administration said they would be doing non screening tasks to free up TSA agents to do screening, but all they have done so far is stand around and look intimidating. 
17
WeirdSysAdmin Mar 25, 2026 +89
The actual problem at hand is we’re currently at 40 days and the credit unions that service TSA/DHS that have been giving 0% loans will start to convert to a rate with interest at 60 days. So people have to go find paying jobs as they are hitting the limits for the longer loans.
89
blueingreen85 Mar 25, 2026 +34
Please, if you are a TSA agent, know that many credit unions have programs to help you. But even these programs have limits.
34
Foef_Yet_Flalf Mar 25, 2026 +14
USAA offered zero interest loans last October. I imagine they are doing the same right now.
14
TbonerT Mar 26, 2026 +13
They also did credit checks and denied some loans.
13
Sufficient_Language7 Mar 26, 2026 +12
Because even they know, a Trump doesn't pay his bills.  They are expecting him to not do back pay and then get stuck having to get people to get paid back.
12
Numerous_Photograph9 Mar 25, 2026 +158
At some point, people just can't afford to go to work. Airports aren't typically close to where people live, so commuting to work is not always c****...especially when gas pricees go up. Unless the government is going to provide them gas or transportation, then yeah, I can see why they'd end up being stuck at home. Moreso, there's a limit to how much you can expect from people...and that limit is Trump's favorite time frame....two weeks.
158
blueingreen85 Mar 25, 2026 +64
Plenty of stories of TSA agents sleeping at the airport, because driving home costs money.
64
Numerous_Photograph9 Mar 25, 2026 +52
That's definately a place where I'd draw the line. I wouldn't go in if I couldn't get home.
52
Number1Framer Mar 26, 2026 +46
This might sound insane to anyone born after 9/11, but all the airports can in fact actually be open without the TSA. In fact they were until November of 2001.
46
OPA73 Mar 26, 2026 +10
Picking up grandma at the plane was a thing.
10
zzztoken Mar 25, 2026 +65
If I’m a TSA officer I’m thinking, the hell is the point? I think the only reason a lot of them are staying is because of how hard it is to find a job at all right now.
65
edman007 Mar 25, 2026 +38
Yup, if I was TSA I'd seriously consider just applying to ICE and reapply to my old TSA job after the shutdown.
38
RagnarokNCC Mar 25, 2026 +40
Ironically enough, if you did that you might still end up working at the same airport the entire time
40
no_one_likes_u Mar 25, 2026 +46
For triple the money too, f*** this government.
46
M4R5W0N6 Mar 25, 2026 +12
that's a feature, not a bug
12
Imaginary-Ad-7919 Mar 25, 2026 +68
It shows how fragile the system is when essential workers are expected to hold everything together without pay.
68
BrofessorLongPhD Mar 25, 2026 +43
No system can survive sabotage from within. To be resilient against self-sabotage would mean a system so insulated it doesn’t respond to internal input either (some of which might be positive).
43
R3D4F Mar 25, 2026 +21
If you’re not getting paid, you’ve already lost your job.
21
legopego5142 Mar 25, 2026 +78
Republicans are evil
78
john_a1985 Mar 25, 2026 +16
And a bunch of Americans voted for them. Repeatedly. 
16
KingCarnivore Mar 25, 2026 +16
I live in New Orleans, the city with the highest call out rate. Our economy will be even more fucked if the airport closes for an extended period.
16
RTalons Mar 25, 2026 +18
This admin essentially halted all foreign tourism. Run by someone who bankrupts casinos.
18
CharcoalGreyWolf Mar 25, 2026 +13
They should all realize that we’ve hit full enshitification and they should quit en masse. Yes, they supposedly can’t strike or have a mass walkoff. But leaving entirely? Sounds like an option to me.
13
sik_dik Mar 25, 2026 +3
I’m willing to deal with the major inconveniences for the time being as long as it prevents voter suppression. Trump is so blatantly trying to implement laws that will disenfranchise voters and secure minority rule
3
Squire_II Mar 26, 2026 +4
I'm trying to imagine the absolute mayhem that a place like ATL (still the busiest airport in the world iirc) closing for even a single day would cause.
4
Googlebright Mar 25, 2026 +716
As a Canadian, it still blows my mind that an American government can fail to pass a budget and not only will it NOT trigger an election but federal workers are expected to continue working without pay??? How the f*** did Americans ever accept this?
716
dude_bro42 Mar 25, 2026 +375
Propaganda, hate, lies, lack of empathy and education.
375
hirudoredo Mar 26, 2026 +226
tbh, throughout my whole life, this has never been a "thing" that fed workers dealt with except for like... trump's presidencies. There was a time when a gov't shutdown was not only a massive f****** deal in the news but was avoided at all costs. Now it's Tuesday.
226
MassiveOstrich1886 Mar 26, 2026 +13
The rich dictate our news and outrage.
13
Googlebright Mar 26, 2026 +7
OK, so it's not like I missed out on these when I was younger. The frequency and extent of these shutdowns has actually ticked upwards under Trump.
7
What_a_fat_one Mar 26, 2026 +39
Well our Constitution is two and a half centuries old and the last system update was in 1992, and it was just a minor patch related to congressional salaries
39
Filias9 Mar 26, 2026 +54
As European - this baffling for me too. In country, which have not universal healthcare "because it's communism", everyone just accept that working for free for gov for months is normal thing.
54
ifuckzombies Mar 26, 2026 +20
To be fair, the majority of Americans are in favor of universal healthcare. Our government doesn't properly represent us though and that's where a LOT of these problems come from.
20
brenster23 Mar 26, 2026 +27
Basically this stems back to Gingrich, previously if the US failed to pass a budget, the us would fund and pay workers for the shutdown....but well it made people seem incompetent since the government was paying to do nothing.... so that was axed. Back then it was called a planned shutdown or something. 
27
jamesFox44 Mar 26, 2026 +6
>How the f*** did American’s ever accept this? They accepted it the day they voted the buffoon into office.
6
AlyadaHatchet Mar 25, 2026 +2974
The actual work of the TSA aside, not paying your employees in a US where most folks are paycheck to paycheck without the ability to absorb multiple missing paychecks.... The f*** did y'all think was gonna happen?  Everything is getting more expensive, and missing income while still having bills is rough.  There's so many ways for the poor to get poorer.  These interruptions have long term consequences, and rarely to the people who are making the decisions. 
2974
o_MrBombastic_o Mar 25, 2026 +716
It's just smart business. That's what Trump called it when he bragged about stiffing contractors and not paying overtime to workers. America elected Trump to run the country like one of his businesses and he's doing exactly that. America voted for this out of pure spite for people who knew better and warned us
716
XBacklash Mar 25, 2026 +126
It's also called killing through policy. That's want the healthcare CEOs do when they maximize profits by denying care.
126
Life_Without_Lemon Mar 25, 2026 +60
That wouldn’t even be bad but he’s literally stifling all the profit into his pockets meanwhile bankrupting an entire nation. Nothing he does is for the good of this country.
60
Bob_A_Feets Mar 26, 2026 +24
Bankrupted, new reports show the US is currently insolvent thanks to that orange turd.
24
LunarMoon2001 Mar 26, 2026 +13
A Trump never pays a debt.
13
rain5151 Mar 25, 2026 +399
They expected the Dems to roll over, like they have on pretty much everything else up to this point. The deal on the table is one where I wouldn’t call them total cowards for accepting it, unlike past cavings, and I applaud them for pushing for more. But the GOP won’t play ball because it isn’t a capitulation, and it doesn’t have their voter disenfranchisement bill passing.
399
no_one_likes_u Mar 25, 2026 +372
No it's still a pretty big cop out. It doesn't include arguably the two biggest asks, that ICE be required to have a judicial warrant to raid people's houses/businesses, and the ICE not cover their faces. Without some judicial review process and without de-anonymizing these thugs, you'll never see real behavioral change. It's the bare minimum of what you'd need. This isn't related to what you said, but I also think it's worth noting that Democrats have said they'd sign a clean TSA funding bill, with no conditions or funding for ICE either way. So it's impossible to say that Democrats are holding up TSA funding at this point, it's 100% on the GOP for refusing to compromise even a little, and you're totally right that it's because the GOP expects democrats to roll over.
372
Astrium6 Mar 25, 2026 +181
The Fourth Amendment already requires ICE to have a warrant, they just ignore it.
181
Numerous_Photograph9 Mar 25, 2026 +96
This is why they're holding back additional funding to ICE. This particular demand shouldn't have to be itterated, but the circumstances require it. It's questionable if ICE would even follow these requirements should they agree to these provisions, because lets face it, who is going to do anything about it if they don't?
96
cerrera Mar 25, 2026 +69
The way it was reported yesterday, the Republicans agreed to compromise, Thune brought the bill to Trump, Trump said no.
69
no_one_likes_u Mar 25, 2026 +87
The conditions of the compromise that was reported yesterday still didn't include requiring judicial warrants or that ICE agents not cover their faces. And even that Trump won't let them sign. They're essentially saying, we will not compromise with democrats on anything. That bill would have been a win for the GOP, and even that Trump won't accept. Democrats MUST hold firm on this. Once again, they're on the precipice of getting absolutely nothing, like they did with the gov shutdown last year.
87
whynotjoin Mar 25, 2026 +12
My understanding is the deal doesn't include those restrictions because ICE would still be excluded from the funding (which admittedly doesn't matter too much because they were dumb enough to pre-fund ICE for years, but Republicans apparently really want to give them even more money and Dems are refusing without having demands met), and that Dems are pitching it as 'lets limit the issue to our main issue, which is adding restraints to ICE'. The reality is that would potentially put Dems in a decent negotiating position- as most Americans are no longer being hurt by the shutdown (like we are seeing with flights) AND support additional restrictions on ICE, and so the Republicans would have no real leverage left and have to either forgo the new money all together or cave on the popular restrictions. Now if I missed something and it changed and ICE would be getting funded after all, than yeah, shit deal.
12
Squire_II Mar 26, 2026 +12
> They expected the Dems to roll over, like they have on pretty much everything else up to this point. The Dems *did* try to roll over too. Trump said no because the Dem's offers to fund DHS didn't include passing the SAVE Act so Trump threw a fit because he needs the SAVE Act to help with voter suppression because the GOP is currently staring down a growing blue wave in November with the House pretty much guaranteed to flip and the Senate looking more likely. Provided the Dem leadership don't find ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
12
surloc_dalnor Mar 26, 2026 +5
And God that blue wave seems more and more real every special election.
5
meatball77 Mar 25, 2026 +55
This one also hurts the wealthy more than the poor. The TSA workers are being shafted but they'll get their back pay. But the last shutdown had the worry of people not getting food stamps. Rich people having to wait in longer lines at the airport is just going to piss off those who actually have pull in the government.
55
DocPsychosis Mar 25, 2026 +61
Those aren't really rich people, those are middle to upper-middle class. The rich-rich don't wait in TSA lines, they fly privately.
61
BrofessorLongPhD Mar 25, 2026 +34
The rich-rich are served by the business class however, and many of them do fly through conventional channels. When there are enough DVPs and Officers who can’t make the in-person meeting across the country because LAX is completely swamped and backlogged 12 hours, we’ll start to hear a lot more vocal grumbling from the moneyed class.
34
TheSilverNoble Mar 25, 2026 +14
This shit always happens when Republicans are in charge. 
14
steepleton Mar 25, 2026 +32
The actual work of the tsa aside… Not paying your previous Republican administration’s favoured thieving bully boys can have consequences. These guys together with homeland security were the bush era attempt to create trump’s ice
32
Numerous_Photograph9 Mar 25, 2026 +14
Most people need to commute a good ways to get to an airport. While it may be easier in a big city like New York, most cities in this country aren't exactly that amazing with their public transportation, and gas isn't really c****. There comes a point where people just can't put gas in their car anymore, and the promise of a paycheck down the line isn't going to turn on the pumps.
14
Foucaultshadow1 Mar 25, 2026 +4
That’s the Trump Effect!
4
moreobviousthings Mar 25, 2026 +2223
Reminder that Project 2025 really wants TSA to be privatized. So they are creating a problem so they can offer a solution, which will be to hand it over to Palantir.
2223
Suchisthe007life Mar 25, 2026 +560
AI machines for scanning; the gestapo for handing out random floggings… seems like a solid solution. World Cup is going to be… interesting…
560
DrewTheHobo Mar 26, 2026 +27
Remember Seattle is an active war zone too, so we need to be extra sure Palantir checks everyone coming or going from there
27
CptJacksp Mar 25, 2026 +49
Paprie Bitte
49
threecee509 Mar 25, 2026 +144
It’s the same thing the repugs have been doing to our public schools, post office, and other public institutions for years. Whittle away (or in the case of tsa, completely shut off) funding until it fails. They won’t stop until they steal every public good from the people and transfer it to billionaires. 
144
BigOs4All Mar 25, 2026 +85
It's called "Starve the Beast" and it's why conservatives are wholly unqualified to ever serve in government. They've been doing it for decades and it's what the conservative Tory party in the UK has done for decades as well. It's why their NHS is going to crumble for good and be replaced with private insurance.
85
Peanut_007 Mar 25, 2026 +42
The issue is that in order to privatize it they would need to pass legislation. Legislation that is not passing. They can kill the TSA but there's no structure ready to come in and replace it.  Not even talking about the obvious stuff like airport security. The TSA is deeply involved in the pilot training and licence programs. There's a bunch of bureaucratically nessecsry stuff that's just not going to happen if they kill it without a replacement agency to pick that stuff up.
42
MoonOut_StarsInvite Mar 26, 2026 +18
They just have to move faster than the courts
18
NetZeroSun Mar 25, 2026 +78
^ ding ding ding
78
kjuneja Mar 25, 2026 +37
Or ya know... Just remove the tsa Tada! It worked fine for 40+ years Make repubs happy. Less regulation. More freedom. Less spending. Everyone wins
37
ultimate_avacado Mar 26, 2026 +13
Bonus: trump could get his own 9/11 and maybe his tower would be the tallest in Lower Manhattan again! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPvemZHnd0s (Trump being interviewed on 9/11 explaining that after the WTC collapse, his building at 40 Wall St is again the tallest building in downtown.)
13
Imaginary-Ad-7919 Mar 25, 2026 +64
If a shutdown becomes the excuse to privatize TSA, that’s not reform - that’s opportunism.
64
moreobviousthings Mar 25, 2026 +114
When your party controls all of government, you can create opportunity and then profit from it. Just like shorting oil just before a tweet goes out.
114
Imaginary_Cow_6379 Mar 25, 2026 +25
Yup. It’s called disaster capitalism and it’s a deliberate thing our government is doing to us.
25
jayc428 Mar 25, 2026 +13
You’d be long on oil futures I believe but your point still stands.
13
Realistic_Village184 Mar 26, 2026 +5
Kind of like how the Republicans passed crazy pension budgeting requirements for the USPS then used that as an excuse to claim that the USPS is unviable economically and must be privatized.
5
themadterran Mar 25, 2026 +28
Iirc, that's how it was 9/10/2001, so that worked out just great.
28
redlegsfan21 Mar 25, 2026 +21
Kansas City (MCI), San Francisco (SFO), Orlando (SFB), and the majority of airports in Montana have a private company running airport security.
21
Actual__Wizard Mar 25, 2026 +8
It was a good plan until the Iran war started. It's too bad that they demonstrated why that can not happen under any circumstances now.
8
PrefersEarlGrey Mar 25, 2026 +476
Democrats have offered 7 different funding bills that would open the government. Donald Trump and Republicans have rejected every one of them. The GOP is choosing to keep the government closed.
476
DoublePostedBroski Mar 25, 2026 +108
Unfortunately MAGA only hears “the democrats aren’t compromising!”
108
ultimate_avacado Mar 26, 2026 +47
Not just MAGA. Almost no news source reports the accessible offers to quickly fund the TSA.
47
Yvaelle Mar 26, 2026 +23
All the news is right wing owned
23
Groilers Mar 25, 2026 +508
"White House says TSA waits have decreased since ICE agents arrived, but gives no details" ofcourse they give no details because they f****** know damn well the projected travel numbers has dropped which is the actual reason the "wait times" have gone down. ICE walking around had nothing to do with it.
508
caligaris_cabinet Mar 25, 2026 +91
Just like how Iran peace negotiations are occurring but there are no details.
91
Imaginary_Cow_6379 Mar 25, 2026 +24
Tbf they could just be held up in line at the airport.
24
SwissChzMcGeez Mar 26, 2026 +18
They've lied about wait times before. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/29/politics/social-security-phone-hold-time
18
Rance_Mulliniks Mar 26, 2026 +5
Nice of you to believe that wait times went down.
5
PlainBread Mar 25, 2026 +200
Just remember that the Republicans have refused to fund TSA 8 times now and Trump told them to not fund TSA to not "give the Democrats a win". Just remember that.
200
ianc1215 Mar 26, 2026 +19
Remember when they said during the campaign trail that "Daddy was coming back to the Whitehouse". That makes what you said sound so much worse. Lol. The truth is they made a Faustian bargain to get where they are and now they're terrified that if they stand up to Trump they'll primaried or worse attacked by MAGA voters. Sadly the later has been known to happen, at least death threats.
19
DarthBluntSaber Mar 25, 2026 +832
Not only are republicans expecting TSA workers to be working without pay, they want them working without pay after DONALD TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICANS STARTED A WAR AND CAUSED GAS PRICES TO SUDDENLY INCREASE THE BETTER PART OF $2/GALLON IN LESS THAN 25 DAYS. In my area, days before trumps illegal epstein war, gas was 2.70. As of today is $4.21 a gallon. They are expecting these people to work for free right now and expecting them to drive to work when GAS, FOOD AND HOUSING is more expensive than ever. Democrats have attempted to pass funding for the TSA 8 separate times already and REPUBLICANS have blocked it every single time.
832
gerbal100 Mar 25, 2026 +196
United Airlines said in their recent SEC filings that they expect oil to hit $175 / barrel and remain over $100 for the next two years.
196
throwaway11229887 Mar 25, 2026 +93
Multiple gas stations in my area have crossed $6 for premium, never seen that in my life. Not sustainable
93
DarthBluntSaber Mar 25, 2026 +80
Majority of americans won't be able to afford to do anything except drive to work and drive home. Any spending money is going to right into the gas tank. Especially when you consider the number of people in the US that have 45 minute or longer commutes.
80
throwaway11229887 Mar 25, 2026 +32
Exactly, I go to school almost 100 mi away from my home and had been going back home every weekend, but I almost can’t afford it now. It’s like a 50% increase and it’s not like everything else is getting cheaper. I’ve already been considering a different car because mine isn’t super efficient
32
joeyasaurus Mar 26, 2026 +10
Yep this is the knock on effect. You can't afford gas so you cut back on spending elsewhere, then your local restaurants and stores struggle because who can afford to go there anymore. And they have to raise prices again because now it costs more to ship stuff because oil!
10
ratherenjoysbass Mar 25, 2026 +11
Remember it's the political right that supported and still believes in slavery. They're the ones that went to war to preserve slavery against their countrymen, the ones that flew the flag of said traitors in their homes and government buildings, and to this day believe in the dismantling of the federal government. Never get it twisted that Sherman didn't burn enough of the south hcand that inan shitty compromise, the union preserved enough of the south so that it would rise again, and here it is
11
SomewhereNo8378 Mar 25, 2026 +638
I never had my airport shut down during Biden’s presidency
638
Rebal771 Mar 25, 2026 +152
I can’t wait until a couple of them finally get to closing down for a few days. The gridlock has to start somewhere, and if it’s on the overpriced air taxi service, maybe it will actually get some people to participate in the next elections. Gumming up the airline industry wasn’t necessarily a goal of trying to win back democracy, but if trump wants to make an unforced error, we shouldn’t stand in the way. It’s not like we haven’t been trying to lobby for TSA to get paid…so if that doesn’t work…
152
Numerous_Photograph9 Mar 25, 2026 +56
Yeah, it's going to be a complete clusterf\*\*k. One airport for a bit can cause all sorts of disruptions for the airlines and the passengers. Multiple closing is rough, especially if it's a major hub. This has the potential to ripple out to the entire international community.
56
Dt2_0 Mar 26, 2026 +16
If a major hub like DFW, ORD, or ATL closes, it will be hell to pay for this government. You cannot just stop air traffic at some of the busiest airports on the planet that are HQs for the big three. Shutting down one of those three airports will fundamentally break air travel for the entire nation. If DFW gets shut down and American can't use their home base, they are going to bring down the money hammer, Delta and United will do the same quietly behind the scenes. Swap airports and airlines, same result.
16
Jeremizzle Mar 26, 2026 +7
Let’s face it, there’s almost zero chance they’re shutting down an ATL or a DFW. It’s going to be a Burbank, not an LAX. The smaller regional airports. If they really do start shutting down the giant hubs that would be absolutely wild.
7
Rebal771 Mar 25, 2026 +21
Yuuuuuup! On top of the ~~oil war~~ Operation Epstein Fury, I think trump may have just tripped into a whole field FULL of oopsie daisies… The airline industry sits in the cross-section of those two issues, too…so here we are.
21
egnards Mar 25, 2026 +13
The problem is that trump wants airports to shut down. That's the whole point. He wants to be able to say "See the TSA isn't effective!" so he has an excuse to privatize the TSA and make his buddies billions of dollars in government money. His supporters will ignore the fact that he completely caused the problem.
13
ValuableOven734 Mar 25, 2026 +49
They called him sleepy Joe because you could sleep at night
49
cokecaine Mar 25, 2026 +48
Reminds me of the GOP ads during 2020 showcasing riots etc... All which happened under Trumps first term, with the caption "This is America under BIDEN"
48
GoodIdea321 Mar 25, 2026 +13
If they had to be honest in ads and what they want, nobody would vote for them.
13
Ohuigin Mar 25, 2026 +127
Shut them down. I know it was a while ago - but ya'll remember COVID, and the whole "essential worker" debate? Well...here we are again. Shut them down. This country runs because of the working class. If politicians and child rapists want to keep their runways open, they had better learn how to use an X-ray machine.
127
TreeOfAwareness Mar 26, 2026 +24
If congress goes on recess without paying TSA they all need to walk off the job. Shut down every airport. Let ICE figure it out lol
24
z0rb0r Mar 26, 2026 +16
In some other countries, if a budget doesn't pass. I hear they just get new politicans.
16
Open-Concept-6130 Mar 25, 2026 +137
Wow the first president to have airport shut down over budget issues. Great win for Trump’s America. Even if you think this is the Dem’s fault (and it isn’t) the fact that the great negotiator can’t get anything negotiated shows a failing of leadership. He has said he doesn’t want a funding bill.  Between TSA pay issues and Air Traffic Controller long standing staffing shortages, it probably isn’t safe to fly. The Republican need to stop sucking out of Trump’s ass and pass one of the Dem bills and force him to Veto it and have that one his record. Most likely he’ll TACO out. 
137
whirlydoodle_ Mar 25, 2026 +15
I'm starting to consider taking a train to Canada and then flying internationally to Japan from there
15
beardeddragon0113 Mar 25, 2026 +40
Imagine being told you have to work for free, but the armed masked thugs from (technically) your same parent organization get to walk around your workplace and just kind of "hang out" while receiving their full pay. Every day it feels like "This cant possibly be more ridiculous". And then it is.
40
Frustratedtx Mar 25, 2026 +88
The biggest problem is this only affects normal people. Private planes are still flying out of their own dedicated terminals all over the country. If the FAA shut down all flights for the super rich this would get fixed in days. They'd call the congressmen they own and force them to make a deal.
88
rondojo Mar 25, 2026 +30
"there’s still no easy way out in sight." I beg to differ.
30
kuldan5853 Mar 25, 2026 +25
Start with Washington DC and Palm Beach.
25
rainbowclownpenis69 Mar 26, 2026 +28
GOOD Shut down. Stop flights. Keep everyone grounded. Why in the world are they asking people to work unpaid? Perhaps Americans need to be inconvenienced enough to pay attention to what is swirling around them. Why TSA is even showing up to work at this point is beyond me. Wanna send ICE to the airport? Cool, let them get people on planes. I hope they all just stop showing up. If the same number if people showed up to their Congresspersons office that are gonna be big mad over not being able to fly we might be able to get the ball rolling for positive changes.
28
us1087 Mar 25, 2026 +32
Why would Joe Biden do this?
32
Blrfl Mar 26, 2026 +20
Obama was unavailable?
20
TellTaleTimeLord Mar 25, 2026 +15
Airlines are gonna love this
15
Randall_HandleVandal Mar 25, 2026 +17
#SOME OF YOU MAY CLOSE, But it’s a risk WE’RE willing to make
17
Interlocharcuterie Mar 25, 2026 +30
Honest question: what would the likely reaction be to sudden reversion to pre-TSA airport security? Commercial air travel existed long before 9/11, and even before the rash of bombings and hijackings in the 70s-90s… would you not take your next flight if it was pre-9/11 standards, no TSA (and no ICE, of course)? Would this even be possible?
30
tremere110 Mar 25, 2026 +20
Reversion to pre-9/11 security after going to war with Iran? Sure, why not? If we're gonna make this a clusterfuck might as well go all-in.
20
Interlocharcuterie Mar 25, 2026 +11
The reply from Gorkish mostly renders my question moot: if TSA doesn’t do it, someone else will, and a more localized process may well be the more effective/accountable/affordable dynamic. But, to your point- we maintained commercial air travel with wars before, up to and including the first Gulf War, without the process brought on by the Patriot Act; while our passenger train system is woefully under-funded/used/built, it still doesn’t have the same level of surveillance and security that airports display- why? I think because largely TSA at the airports is theatre, and a greatly scaled-down security process could be utilized, but of course the defense industry would never allow us to ever take steps backwards on militarization of all public life.
11
utterlyunimpressed Mar 25, 2026 +30
You know what's a big security risk? Not paying your extremely vital transit security staff, leaving them financially vulnerable and susceptible to bribery from dubious characters. Food for thought for no one in particular...
30
xSlappy- Mar 26, 2026 +7
TSA is only vital because of the post 9/11 security state. They werent vital pre 9/11
7
KittyDumpsterParty Mar 25, 2026 +12
I think I'm starting to see how all of Trump's business ventures ended in bankruptcy and failure...
12
ganbramor Mar 25, 2026 +12
Maybe stop trying to fund a Gestapo army and we pass a budget to fund normal employees.
12
KingMRano Mar 25, 2026 +17
Let them shut down and collapse. It might just be the push we need to raise up as a nation and remove all those in the government that don't work for us the people. Struggle brings change.
17
SilverIdaten Mar 25, 2026 +9
Good, close. This is America under Trump.
9
Lemonpup615 Mar 25, 2026 +10
Ftr this is part of project 2025
10
ghec2000 Mar 26, 2026 +6
I doubt ice at the airport has done anything but increase the already palpable anxiety experienced by most travelers
6
DontWreckYosef Mar 26, 2026 +8
They do realize that a large number of TSA agents are looking for other jobs and won’t come back after all of this, right?
8
msr42day Mar 25, 2026 +17
At least that'll stop admin47 embedding ICE everywhere. People and businesses will manage, just as they did during COVID, and when they had to drive a long way to the airport. People can manage.
17
Astronomy_Setec Mar 25, 2026 +16
This is your friendly reminder that flyers pay the TSA, but congress pointed the money elsewhere. So it's not a matter of not having the funds. "...the [Bipartisan Budget Act](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-113publ67/html/PLAW-113publ67.htm) directed that a portion of the security fee revenue be diverted to lower the federal budget deficit, rather than fund TSA operations." [https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/23/us/tsa-funding-security-fees-workers](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/23/us/tsa-funding-security-fees-workers)
16
Multidream Mar 25, 2026 +6
Obviously. You can’t have people working for no pay. That pay is required to live. Screw the job stability, you GOTTA have money!
6
Signal_Brother_5125 Mar 26, 2026 +5
Its kind of like ….slavery
5
Grand_Town_9144 Mar 25, 2026 +7
Epstein Republicans did this to distract from being pedos. Release the files, all of them!
7
ralphonsob Mar 26, 2026 +7
TSA were a troop of bullies introduced to implement the security theater post-9/11. Now the regime doesn't want to pay them for their largely unnecessary work. ICE are a troop of bullies introduced to implement the racist harassment of guest workers post-Trump. How long before the regime doesn't want to pay *them* for their wholly unnecessary work?
7
MrJoyless Mar 25, 2026 +12
This could solved, in part, by banning private jets from flying.
12
Acceptable-Peace-69 Mar 25, 2026 +6
*As of March 2026, the median annual salary for a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) in the U.S. is approximately $44,700–$55,000, with average total compensation often falling around $46,000–$54,000 when accounting for locality pay. **Starting base salaries (Band D) are around $34,454**, with potential to earn up to $162,672+ in higher-level positions (Band K–L)* In California, a full time fast food worker starts at $40k before OT. High-performing managers, particularly at chains like In-N-Out, can exceed $100,000–$160,000 annually. If Burger King fails to pay you, they can be taken to court immediately and will have to pay at least triple.
6
RobutNotRobot Mar 25, 2026 +8
Remember when ICE/CBP murdered two people in Minnesota and it was caught by like 10 different videos so we knew neither of them were justified and Trump's goons were like 'heh we just get to kill people, f*** you'? And now Republicans won't fund TSA, because they need those murderers to know that they have so much more murdering to do and we have an election coming up so fill those streets full of blood. Shut everything down right now. It might be the only way we avoid a civil war/world war/nuclear war. The psychos are in control.
8
elciano1 Mar 25, 2026 +9
But ICE getting paid.....ummm
9
KodaiClub Mar 25, 2026 +6
Jfc America, gather all of your shit, bring it into one pile, and get your shit together.
6
cyberdude419 Mar 26, 2026 +7
Americans refuse to start a General Strike and get these assholes out of office. So, we’ll just suffer instead as prices everywhere rise and chaos everywhere ensues
7
phoenix14830 Mar 26, 2026 +6
For those new to reality, the Republican party doesn't care about you. They exist to make the rich richer and companies more profitable, none of which will trickle down to improving your quality of life.
6
GimpyGeek Mar 26, 2026 +7
Oh and are they going to conveniently be states where dems are dominant so they can't fly to DC to vote on things? How convenient.
7
StunningPlastic4504 Mar 26, 2026 +6
I genuinely don't understand how we can pay ICE to wander around these airports but we can't pay TSA for the work they're already doing.
6
CamRoth Mar 25, 2026 +4
Start shutting them down. Our upcoming trip will be ruined, but I'm willing to pay thst price.
4
Leading-Loss-986 Mar 26, 2026 +6
Coincidentally, the affected airports will all be in cities or states run by Dems.
6
Loreki Mar 26, 2026 +5
Or they could just abandon security theatre and go back to simpler checks?
5
Justsin7 Mar 26, 2026 +7
Or can’t we just go back to pre 911 style airports?
7
stavago Mar 26, 2026 +5
Or we can abolish the TSA since a Patriot Act security measure turned into a 25 year overstep
5
Umami_Tsunamii Mar 25, 2026 +13
Why is the gov still shutdown? What are they even doing? Literally a fresh war on and these clowns can’t get a budge through?
13
Strykerz3r0 Mar 25, 2026 +48
The Dems have proposed eight bills to pay TSA, but republicans have rejected these standalone bills unless they get more for ICE. Maybe you should ask republicans why they don't want to pay people.
48
chekmarks Mar 25, 2026 +7
If we hated them proportionally to the f*** up that they are creating, we’d banish these fucks to a boat in the middle of the pacific.  We don’t hate them nearly enough. As a society.
7
TheSpiralQueen Mar 25, 2026 +26
They shut the government down (again) because the Democratic party won't vote yes on the Save America act. The republican party has a gun to America's head and is holding her hostage, hoping the Democratic party will just give up and vote yes.
26
DigitalArbitrage Mar 25, 2026 +118
Airports worked just fine before the TSA existed.
118
arxaion Mar 25, 2026 +55
The world was a different place before TSA existed. Airports could function, but not with the same oversight and safety guarantees. Why don't we pay them instead of paying untrained psychos to stand next to them doing nothing?
55
UNMENINU Mar 25, 2026 +4
This is what bankrupting a country looks like. Gee willickers who’d a thunk it.
4
Mrs_SmithG2W Mar 25, 2026 +5
America First! Yeah right.💩🤡
5
mulligrubs Mar 26, 2026 +4
I suppose it makes sense to close all the exits while you're doing a robbery.
4
Gr8daze Mar 26, 2026 +4
Then Republicans should stop voting against TSA funding. Because that’s why they aren’t getting paid.
4
rkumr Mar 26, 2026 +5
Where’s the f****** three branches of government preforming checks and balances when you NEED them. 😔
5
Malaix Mar 26, 2026 +8
Turns out the checks and balances never worked because our government was never properly warded against partisanship from the start.
8
CantAffordzUsername Mar 26, 2026 +5
So much winning, I can’t handle all this winning
5
DoctaGazoo Mar 26, 2026 +5
Don’t worry the billionaires will save up once we privatize the entire industry. I’m sure that’s gonna work out great.
5
BrennanDaBassist Mar 26, 2026 +5
TSA should shut Dulles and Reagan down first. Congress would get their shit together fast if they can’t fly home.
5
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