The White House is weighing unilateral action to pay Transportation Security Administration officers if the Senate cannot quickly agree to a deal on the Department of Homeland Security's budget, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the discussions.

A partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14 has forced 50,000 TSA officers to work without pay, leading to major strains at U.S. airports and the longest lines in the agency's history.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., described the potential plan, which would sidestep Congress, to Republican senators in a closed-door lunch, the Post reported.

Asked about the proposal, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that "it is true the White House is having discussions about a number of ideas to blunt the impact" of the shutdown but added "no preparations or plans are currently underway."