This story appeared in The Logoff, a day by day e-newsletter that helps you keep knowledgeable concerning the Trump administration with out letting political information take over your life. Subscribe right here.
Welcome to The Logoff: The US air journey scenario is wanting up — for now.
What’s occurring? TSA brokers acquired paychecks at the moment for the primary time in additional than a month, easing the burden of the continuing Homeland Safety shutdown and assuaging lengthy safety traces at main US airports.
The place is the cash coming from? DHS nonetheless doesn’t have funding, however President Donald Trump signed an government order Friday directing that TSA brokers be paid anyway, as airport safety traces started to succeed in disaster proportions.
The paychecks lined some, however not all, of the again pay owed to brokers because of the shutdown and have been reportedly paid out of cash allotted to DHS below final yr’s reconciliation package deal (Trump’s “Massive Lovely Invoice”).
As CNN has reported, it’s unclear whether or not that form of unilateral course of funding is authorized, however paychecks are flowing regardless.
What’s the context? That is the second time a chronic authorities shutdown has resulted within the Trump administration going round Congress to pay federal staff. Final yr, throughout a much wider, record-long shutdown, Trump redirected Protection Division cash to pay US troops. (Army paychecks haven’t been affected this time, since DOD has been funded by Congress.)
What’s the massive image? Monday’s paychecks are an enormous deal for the tens of 1000’s of TSA staff who’ve been going with out, in addition to for America’s beleaguered air journey system. However they’re extra of a Band-Assist than a everlasting repair.
Particularly, whereas we don’t know precisely the place the Trump administration is getting the cash for TSA paychecks, it’s not going to final without end; in some unspecified time in the future, Congress will nonetheless have to fund TSA and the remainder of DHS, with or with out ICE and CBP.
There’s additionally an underlying downside: These sorts of funding lapses are getting increasingly frequent. Even when Congress will get this shutdown sorted out quickly, we’re prone to be staring down one other earlier than we all know it.
And with that, it’s time to sign off…
My colleague Allie Volpe — arguably the unofficial patron saint of logging off — is a font of fine recommendation about residing life. For her newest story, she spoke with an professional, Professor Gillian Sandstrom, about how, and why, you need to discuss with strangers. You possibly can learn their dialog right here.
Have an amazing night, and we’ll see you again right here tomorrow!
