As Airports Grind to a Halt, Barrett Votes for Third Time to Fund Homeland Security and Pay TSA Agents

Washington, D.C. - As the longest airport security lines in historygrind airports to a halt, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today helped pass legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the third time this year. The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act (H.R. 8029) was approved by a 218-206 vote, with all but four Democrats voting to keep DHS shut down.

"Airports across the United States are a complete mess with people spending hours on end waiting to get through security because TSA agents simply can't afford to keep coming to work without getting paid," said Barrett. "This nightmare is only going to get worse as thousands of Americans get ready to travel for spring break and Easter unless we fund the Department of Homeland Security and pay TSA. I just voted to do that for the third time, and it's time we demand the Senate to do the same."

DHS has been shut down for 41 days, jeopardizing the missions of the TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA, Secret Service, and various other counterterrorism and security agencies. Since then, security wait times at some airports have reached more than six hours long. In testimony before Congress this week, acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill highlighted that assaults against TSA officers have increased 500% since the shutdown began on February 14.

The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act is identical to the bipartisan DHS funding bills that passed the House in Januaryand earlier this monthwith Barrett's support. The funding plan was negotiated this winter by Republicans and Democrats in the House, Senate, and White House, but Democrats then proceeded to block the legislation in the Senate, where the bill requires several Democrat votes to pass.