Trump says he will order DHS to pay TSA agents; Rep. Tim Wahberg urges end to funding impasse

A statement posted on Truth Social said the president would sign an order directing the Department of Homeland Security to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents to address airport disruptions caused by a continuing DHS funding lapse. The program reading the post said the step was intended to "address this emergency situation" and to stop what it called "Democrat chaos at the airports."

Representative Tim Wahberg, Republican of Michigan and chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, told the program the executive action — if carried out — would be "leadership" and called on Democrats to stop obstructing funding. "It's time for the Democrats to quit cynically playing politics with people's lives," Wahberg said, urging immediate resolution to the lapse that he said had left TSA and other Homeland Security employees unpaid.

Wahberg listed several components he said were affected by the pay lapse, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, cyber units, the Secret Service and the Coast Guard, and said those agencies continue essential work despite payroll interruptions. He noted the timing of the disruption amid heavy holiday travel and said some members of Congress oppose the funding bills in the House.

The statement read on the program named Mark Wayne Mullen as the Homeland Security secretary who would be instructed to carry out the order. The host said the funding lapse had lasted more than 40 days and had contributed to long lines at airports.

There was no formal vote or committee action recorded in the interview segment. The program ended after Wahberg summarized his view that political delay should stop; he said he looked forward to continuing the discussion at the committee hearing.