- President Donald Trump formally directed the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA employees, including 50,000 security officers, despite a partial government shutdown that caused them to miss paychecks.
- The directive, issued via a presidential memorandum on Friday, instructs Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and OMB Director Russell Vought to use undisclosed funds with a "reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations."
- The shutdown, ongoing for about six weeks, has led to nearly 500 TSA agents quitting and thousands calling out sick, resulting in "untenable" security wait times and heightened security risks at airports.
- DHS announced that TSA agents are expected to start receiving pay as soon as Monday, with the agency expressing gratitude for the president's leadership.
- Trump criticized the "Democrat-caused shutdown," while Democrats refused to fund DHS without reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, rejecting a 60-day continuing resolution.
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