Trump signs a memo to pay TSA employees as shutdown stalemate drags on

President Trump signed a memo to ensure TSA employees receive paychecks amid the ongoing government shutdown, a move that comes after House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that the Senate bill was unacceptable as it lacked funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, and did not address Democratic demands for limiting federal immigration officer tactics. Instead, the House plans to vote on a stop-gap bill to fund DHS until May 22, a measure whose passage in the Senate is uncertain. Johnson indicated that Trump supports this approach, and the DHS has begun processing payments for TSA workers following the President's directive, though the source of the funds remains unclear. The DHS funding lapse has led to tens of thousands of employees working without pay, resulting in significant airport delays and a high rate of TSA officer resignations. Democrats have opposed funding DHS without significant reforms, particularly after federal officers were involved in the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed pride in the Democratic caucus for holding firm on their demands for reforms. Senate Republicans, however, argued that Democrats missed opportunities to reach an agreement and are now using the shutdown as a political issue. The DHS has been operating without regular appropriations for over a month, with some divisions like ICE continuing to function using funds from a previous Republican-passed bill, while others, like TSA, have relied on unpaid labor. Negotiations to end the shutdown have been intense, with Republicans initially proposing to fund most of DHS except ICE and Border Patrol, a proposal that saw mixed reactions. Earlier in the week, Trump had also insisted on including his desired voting law overhaul in any DHS funding deal.