Shutdown Spurs TSA Quits, High Callouts at Florida Airports

More than 480 Transportation Security Administration officers have quit since the partial federal government shutdown began. Callout rates at major airports have surged to between 40 and 50 percent — compared with a pre-shutdown average of 4 percent — acting TSA leader Nguyen McNeill told the House Committee on Homeland Security Wednesday.

McNeill testified that screeners are missing bill payments, receiving eviction notices and losing child care amid the ongoing funding lapse. "Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet, all while being expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the traveling public," she said. Staff are skipping shifts because they "simply cannot afford to report to work," she added. McNeill said the agency is deploying ICE personnel to some airports in a supporting role — managing lines, checking travel documents and instructing passengers on bin loading — after roughly 72 hours of training. The timeline drew sharp questioning from lawmakers given that standard TSA training takes approximately six months.

For Treasure Coast travelers, the staffing crisis carries direct implications. Residents of Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties who regularly fly through Palm Beach International Airport or Orlando International Airport face the prospect of longer wait times and reduced screening capacity the longer the shutdown continues. Any degradation in TSA's workforce at feeder airports ripples outward to every traveler in the region.

FEMA external affairs official Victoria Barton told the same panel that the agency's Disaster Relief Fund is "rapidly depleting," with approximately $3.6 billion remaining. A DHS appropriations bill that stalled in Congress would have replenished the fund with about $26 billion. Roughly 10,000 of FEMA's disaster workers — nearly half its total workforce — continue to be paid through that fund. Barton cautioned that preparedness and security grant work has been paused months ahead of the FIFA World Cup and the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. "This is especially concerning as the nation faces heightened national security concerns," she said. Barton also said she was "not familiar with any current guidance" regarding a previously reported planning exercise that asked FEMA managers to model a 50 percent workforce reduction.

FEMA's scheduled representative, Associate Administrator Gregg Phillips, did not appear at the hearing after public reports resurfaced past remarks he made promoting election conspiracy theories and claiming he once teleported to a restaurant. Victoria Barton testified in his place. FEMA did not respond to a request for comment on his absence.

The partial shutdown continues with no confirmed vote date on a spending measure to restore full agency funding.

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