Why It Matters
Recent government shutdowns have grown longer and more disruptive to civil aviation, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. The 75-day Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown from Feb. 14 to April 30 was the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history.
About 460 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners resigned in the five weeks after the Feb. 14 DHS funding lapse, and nationwide callout rates rose from about 4% to about 11% on average during shutdown days.
During a lapse, TSA cannot legally spend the fees passengers already pay, and controller hiring pipelines are vulnerable to interruption at a moment when the FAA is trying to rebuild its workforce.
The Big Picture
The 75-day DHS lapse was more than twice the length of the 34-day 2018–2019 partial shutdown, which had previously drawn congressional scrutiny over aviation disruptions.
The Department of Transportation's shutdown plan, issued in January 2026, expressly excepts air traffic controller hiring and training from furlough during a lapse in appropriations, a broader list of activities than in prior DOT plans, which did not include those functions.
Under current law, TSA cannot spend passenger security fee collections during a funding lapse because those offsetting collections cannot be expended until corresponding appropriations legislation is enacted. Passenger security fees covered about 26% of fiscal 2025 aviation security costs, but the agency cannot spend those collected fees while appropriations are lapsed.
Airlines for America (A4A) reported more than 15,600 staffing-related delays and more than 7,100 staffing-related flight cancellations during the 2025 shutdown. Checkpoint wait times of up to 3.5 hours at HOU and 4 hours at IAH were reported.
Rep. Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY) introduced H.R.7941, the Pay TSA Act of 2026, which would create a Transportation Security Trust Fund financed by passenger security fees and available to spend during a lapse in appropriations, expressly prioritizing screener salaries, benefits and overtime. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security on March 16 and remains in committee.
The Bottom Line
The report outlines legislative options for Congress, including automatic stop-gap appropriations, funding selected aviation functions during a lapse, and revising fee-funding rules so TSA could draw on passenger security fees without a corresponding appropriation.
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