For airline travelers, the shutdown answer is simple: Pay TSA officers

ATLANTA (AP) — Regardless of politics or destination, American air travelers were unified by one desire Saturday: It's time to pay Transportation Security Administration employees.

“Everybody got bills they have to pay, and it’s horrible," said Patrice Clark, whose trip to Las Vegas began Saturday with a nearly four-hour wait in a security line at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. "Times are hard for everybody at this point. Working and not getting paid and gas prices are extremely high — like everybody needs their money. They need to pay them.”

TSA officers haven't gotten a paycheck since the U.S. Department of Homeland Security partly shut down on Feb. 14. Democrats balked at funding the agency, while other departments are unaffected, demanding changes to immigration enforcement by federal agents following the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Christian Childress is a private flight attendant, so when he is working, he doesn’t wait in TSA lines. But the Redwood City, California, resident frequently goes through a checkpoint when flying commercial to get to his job.

Childress said shutdown effects have been “hit or miss” thus far. He came to the Atlanta airport nearly three hours before his 1:30 p.m. Saturday flight to Nashville, Tennessee, for a leisure trip. Some passengers have been arriving even earlier in Atlanta — one of the world’s busiest airports — spooked about missing flights because of delays.

“Issue No. 1 should be paying the people who need to get paid and keeping our air travel system secure,” Childress said. “Then they can debate whatever they want to debate about homeland security.”

Some passengers said it is time for Democrats to give up on the shutdown.

“I don't want to go between the Democrats and the Republicans, but I think the Democrats are holding everything up because they can't get their way,” said Tyrone Williams, a retiree from the Atlanta suburb of Ellenwood. He was queued up for screening before his flight to Philadelphia on Saturday.

Atlanta's checkpoint wait time spiked as high as 90 minutes on Saturday morning before melting away to nothing in the afternoon on what is typically one of the slowest days of the week for air travel. Staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically.

Concerns about long airport lines are increasingly capturing attention.

President Donald Trump said Saturday he will order federal immigration officers to take a role in airport security starting Monday unless Democrats agree to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

The president said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would bring the administration’s immigration crackdown into the nation’s airports, arresting “all Illegal Immigrants” with a focus on those from Somalia.

“I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, “GET READY.” NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” Trump wrote.

Funding for the whole department failed to advance in the Senate on Friday after Democrats declined to support a bill. On Saturday, in a rare weekend session, the Senate rejected a motion by Democrats to take up legislation to fund TSA. Republicans argue that they need to fund all of the department, not just parts.

The vast majority of employees at TSA are considered essential, and roughly 50,000 continue to work without pay during the funding lapse. Nationwide on Thursday, about 10% of TSA officers missed work, the department reported. Absentee rates were two or three times higher in places.

Merissa Thomas arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday after a quick trip through a checkpoint at Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.

“I’m so grateful for people who are willing to sacrifice a lot to make sure we’re safe,” Thomas said.

Union leaders and federal officials say TSA officers are under financial pressure. Airport screeners have spent nearly half of the past 171 days with paychecks delayed by politics — 43 days last fall during the longest government shutdown in history, four days earlier this year during a brief funding lapse, and now 36 days and counting during the current shutdown.

At least 376 officers have quit since this shutdown began, according to officials, exacerbating turnover at an agency that historically has had some of the U.S. government’s highest attrition and lowest employee morale.

“From now on I would drive wherever I have to go until they get this figured out,” said Clark, the delayed traveler. “It was horrible.”

Associated Press writers Collin Binkley in West Palm Beach, Florida, Ty O'Neil in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed.

A TSA staff member security walking past a check point at Harry Reid International Airport, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

A TSA staff member at a check point at Harry Reid International Airport, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Travelers go through TSA security check at O'Hare International Airport, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sat0)

Travelers go through TSA security check at O'Hare International Airport, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sat0)

Travelers go through TSA security check at O'Hare International Airport, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sat0)

Passengers wait outside a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday, March, 21, 2026, (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Passengers wait outside a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday, March, 21, 2026, (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Passengers wait outside a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday, March, 21, 2026, (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

A Transportation Security Administration agent checks a passenger's identification at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Passengers wait outside a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday, March, 21, 2026, (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)