Pay TSA Now!

Jerise, Airport wait times are out of control, and it's all because the White House is forcing TSA workers to WORK without pay. The White House has repeatedly rejected offers from both parties to fully fund TSA, FEMA, and the rest of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while Congress negotiates ICE reform. Instead, this administration is choosing chaos. This week, the administration is making things worse by sending thousands of ICE agents to airports, ostensibly to "help" the unpaid TSA agents. This chaos is a choice. Sanders Institute fellow Sara Nelson, president of the American Flight Attendants-CWA union, lays it out clearly: DHS can pay TSA Officers today. Right. Now. Last year, Congress passed a massive spending bill that gave DHS $190 billion, including $10 billion for the DHS Secretary "to safeguard the borders of the United States." DHS has the money to pay TSA officers. They are simply choosing not to. This is about American lives, but it's also about our economic security. It's all on the brink of collapse. Flight Attendants cannot do our jobs if TSA cannot do theirs. Pay TSA Now! This decision should come from the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. Kristi Noem has been fired, but even as she finished her last days, she refused to act. Now that the Senate has confirmed a new Director of Homeland Security, let them know we expect them tod emand that he immediately resume pay for TSA workers, work with Congress to reform ICE and CBP, and fund all other parts of DHS. Add your voice: Pay TSA Now! Sara Nelson's union put out a statement explaining exactly why this is such a bad idea: [This] ICE invasion at the airports is another distraction from solutions that protect Americans. Transportation Security Officers can't simply be replaced. They undergo a six-month training program in which they learn to screen passengers while evaluating and managing risks within the unique context of an airport—especially how to identify disguised or disassembled weapons and explosives. This is expertise and training that ICE agents simply do not have, and cannot learn quickly. Furthermore, the introduction of ICE agents into airports creates contradictory missions, as attempts to question passengers about immigration status may distract them from ensuring airport security. If the White House will not allocate the funds they already have, they should accept the bipartisan deal to fund all of DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol in order to keep our skies safe. Tell Congress: Pay TSA Now! In solidarity, The Sanders Institute Paid for by the Sanders Institute 131 Church St., Burlington, VT 05401 The Sanders Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.   Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from The Sanders Institute, please click here.