Trump signs emergency order to pay TSA agents as IAH wait times top two hours Friday

President Trump signs order to pay TSA workers

Transportation Security Administration workers will soon be getting paid. On Friday, President Donald Trump issued an order directing the Department of Homeland Security to start paying the agency’s workers once again.

HOUSTON - President Donald Trump signed an emergency order Friday directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA agents immediately, bypassing a deadlocked Congress on Day 42 of the partial government shutdown.

The move comes as Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) faces what the president is officially calling a "National Security Emergency." With thousands of Transportation Security Administration agents missing their third consecutive paycheck Friday, staffing shortages have reached a breaking point.

Bush Airport lines

Local perspective:

At IAH, the impact was visible in the sprawling lines at Terminal E, one of only two terminals currently open for security screening at the airport.

Travelers at IAH reported wait times exceeding two hours just to reach the security checkpoints. Susan Kish, a traveler caught in the bottleneck, had been tracking her progress to the second.

"I could tell you exactly. Well we have the timer, two hours, two minutes, and 25 seconds, just to get upstairs, I easily have 90 minutes to go," Kish said.

The "One Big Beautiful Bill" workaround

Big picture view:

The presidential order aims to circumvent a legislative stalemate. While the Senate passed a deal at 2 a.m. Friday to fund the TSA, House Republicans rejected the measure because it did not include specific funding for border operations.

In response, the president is tapping into funds from his 2025 "One Big Beautiful Bill" tax and spending package to cover TSA salaries. The administration has set a goal to have checks in the hands of agents by Monday.

However, the plan is already drawing scrutiny from travelers and legal experts alike.

"It does make me feel better, although I heard that he cannot do that legally, because of the way that the bill is, because the way the budget is structured," Kish said. "So I’ll look forward to figuring out, hearing how he makes that happen."

National security and future concerns

The White House stated that nearly 500 TSA agents have resigned since the shutdown began six weeks ago. The staffing drain has led to the consolidation of security gates, forcing travelers into fewer, more crowded checkpoints.

The chaos has raised questions about Houston’s readiness for upcoming major events, including the FIFA World Cup.

"Honestly, I’m not sure. Probably not. The way it’s looking, probably not," said Imani Hicks, a new Houston resident, when asked if the city would be prepared for the influx of international travelers.

While the president is moving "full steam ahead" with the emergency order, constitutional experts warn the "Monday fix" could face immediate court challenges regarding the legality of tapping tax funds without explicit congressional approval.

For now, airport officials continue to urge passengers to arrive at least four hours before their scheduled departures as the emergency funding begins its trek through the federal bureaucracy.