Delta Halts Congress Airport Perks Amid TSA Chaos

Delta Air Lines is suspending its airport assistance service for members of Congress as security lines snarl nationwide amid the ongoing partial government shutdown, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The move follows the Senate's unanimous approval of a measure to eliminate preferential treatment for lawmakers at airports, including their ability to bypass standard security lines.

Officials at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport — the world's busiest — in Atlanta are now warning travelers to allow at least four hours to clear security checkpoints for domestic and international flights due to "current federal conditions." Delta is headquartered in Atlanta.

Newsmax reached out to Delta for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Travel disruptions are worsening across the country as the Transportation Security Administration faces growing staffing shortages. Workers have gone without pay since funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed in mid-February, prompting widespread callouts.

According to DHS, more than 400 TSA officers have already quit.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian joined other airline executives this month in pressing Congress to act, signing an open letter urging a bipartisan solution to ensure aviation workers are paid during future shutdowns.

"TSA officers just received $0 paychecks. That is simply unacceptable," the CEOs wrote. "It's difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid."

The staffing crisis has already forced some airports to shut down security checkpoints at certain terminals. Officials warn conditions could deteriorate further, especially at smaller airports.

"This is going to get worse before it gets better, particularly if we don't have a resolution within the coming days and weeks," Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl said on NewsNation last week.

In response, President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are being deployed to airports nationwide to help support TSA operations.

The shutdown standoff continues on Capitol Hill, where Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over DHS funding. Democrats have refused to support legislation that does not include reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection.

Instead, Democrats have pushed for separate funding measures for TSA and other non-immigration agencies — efforts Republicans have repeatedly blocked, blaming Democrats for worsening travel disruptions and security strains.

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