It's an extraordinary move that came as senators were reviewing a "last and final" offer to end the funding impasse that has jammed airports and disrupted travel, just as TSA workers faced another missed paycheck Friday.
Wait times are exceeding four hours at some major airports, leading TSA officers to call out at rates of 40 to 50%, according to TSA Deputy Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.
The difficulties for families adds to the patchwork of complaints about immigration oversight and other issues while the department remains without government funding for five weeks.
The hourslong security lines at a handful of U.S. airports this week highlight the potential problems when a government shutdown coincides with the busy spring break travel season.
The sprawling agency saw its baseline funding expire after lawmakers left town for a week-long recess, but without a deal to rein in the conduct of federal immigration officers.
The Senate passed a measure to avert a shutdown on Friday. But with the House on recess, funding for broad stretches of the federal government has technically lapsed.
A spending agreement under consideration in the Senate would temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security while lawmakers negotiate provisions to rein in federal immigration agents.
Delta Air Lines estimates that it lost $200 million due to the longest government shutdown on record. CEO Ed Bastian says refunds increased and bookings slowed during the 43-day shutdown, leading to a loss of about 25 cents per share.
The Transportation Secretary says air traffic controllers will be paid promptly as the government reopens. But after the last shutdown, in 2019, some controllers sued to get paid in full for overtime.
President Trump signed a bill reopening the government Wednesday night, but it will take more than a day for some things to return to business as usual. We're tracking those here.
The break in the shutdown stalemate comes without the one thing most Democrats in Congress had been insisting on: protecting tax subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
If Congress ultimately approves the legislation that the U.S. Senate adopted Monday to end the government shutdown, it could throttle the multibillion dollar hemp consumables industry.
The Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., says it's allotted an extra 1 million meals for November, given the uncertainties about whether and when SNAP recipients will get their full benefits.
Airlines and aviation regulators warned that flight disruptions are likely to continue even after the government reopens. Thousands of flights have been cancelled as air traffic restrictions ramp up.
