Senate Funds TSA, Coast Guard in Partial DHS Deal, Easing Florida Airport Strain

The Senate approved funding early Friday to pay Transportation Security Administration workers and most other Homeland Security agencies, ending a 42-day standoff that has strained airports nationwide. The deal, however, excluded immigration enforcement money, setting up a difficult vote in the House.

The chamber approved the package unanimously without a roll-call vote. The deal funds FEMA, the Coast Guard, Customs and the TSA but excludes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. President Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order to immediately pay TSA agents using money from his 2025 tax bill, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

For Treasure Coast travelers, the deal carries immediate practical weight. Palm Beach International Airport, which serves many Martin and St. Lucie County residents, is among facilities nationwide reporting TSA callout rates exceeding 40 percent. More than 11 percent of scheduled TSA officers — more than 3,120 workers — missed shifts on Wednesday alone, according to Department of Homeland Security figures. Nearly 500 of the agency's roughly 50,000 officers have quit since the shutdown began. FEMA, which administers disaster recovery funds critical to the hurricane-vulnerable Treasure Coast, is also set to receive restored funding under the Senate package.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the deal would reopen "a lot of the government" while acknowledging unfinished work ahead. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the agreement could have been reached weeks earlier and vowed his party would continue pressing for reform of what he called Trump's "rogue" immigration operation before granting it additional funding. Conservative Republicans pushed back from the other direction, with Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., demanding full ICE funding and declaring, "The border is closing. The next task is deportation."

The GOP's tax legislation Trump signed last year had already funneled $75 billion in supplemental funds to DHS, keeping ICE agents on payroll throughout the shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faces a narrow majority, and passage of the Senate package will almost certainly require bipartisan support as members on both flanks have signaled opposition.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the union welcomes TSA back pay but called on Congress to remain in session until a full DHS funding bill covering all workers and agencies is enacted.

The House is expected to take up the measure Friday. If passed and signed into law, Trump's separate executive order paying TSA agents may become redundant.

What This Means for the Treasure Coast

FEMA's inclusion in the Senate funding package directly protects disaster preparedness and recovery grants flowing to Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties — all three of which have active federal disaster-mitigation projects tied to hurricane recovery and Indian River Lagoon restoration programs administered through federal channels. The Coast Guard's restored funding also affects Station Fort Pierce, which operates search and rescue operations along the Treasure Coast's 120-mile coastline. TSA staffing relief at Palm Beach International Airport should ease screening backlogs that have lengthened wait times for Treasure Coast residents flying out of the region's nearest major air hub. Martin County Emergency Management officials According to available information, would ordinarily confirm local FEMA grant status. TC Sentinel has placed a call and will update this report upon response.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.