Sen Fetterman urges end to DHS shutdown over TSA staffing amid rising security risks

Amid a financial standoff that extended Friday, Sen. John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, is emphasizing the need for lawmakers to end travel delays and support the country’s weakened airport security, warning that security preparations are “significantly behind schedule” for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“I could never justify it from the beginning, but here we are on day 39, 40? It’s like, how long are you going to keep this up?” Fetterman told Fox News Digital last week.

Fetterman raised concerns that the shutdown — the second for TSA workers in just three months — has wreaked havoc on the nation’s transportation security personnel that won’t be easily undone ahead of high-profile events in the United States.

“Preparations are significantly behind schedule and now we are 77 days in and the venue is still down,” Fetterman said, referring to the World Cup. “And millions of people from abroad come and millions of Americans join these two.”

SCHUMER’S GAMBIT FAILS AS DHS SHUTDOWN REACHES 36 DAYS AND AIRPORT LINES INCREASE

Senator John Fetterman speaks to reporters during a round of confirmation votes for President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees at the U.S. Capitol, February 12, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Fetterman’s comments come as the Senate advanced most of the funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the early hours of Friday morning. Their bill aimed to provide supplies to the many agencies that operate under the DHS umbrella, such as the Secret Service, Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), TSA and many others, but excluded funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Funding for DHS first dried up on Feb. 14, when Democrats conditioned their support for the agency on a package of reforms aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The Senate bill did not include any of the Democrats’ reforms, but also did not include funding for ICE. That proposal was met with fierce resistance in the House of Representatives, where even House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., blasted the attempted resolution.

“This ploy that was done last night is a joke. I am completely convinced of this: There is no way that every Republican in the Senate will read the language of this bill. It is quite alarming. It says, quote: ‘The content printed under the titles of this bill: United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Security Operations…an amount specified in the final bill will be zero,'” Johnson said, reading the text of the Senate bill.

“We don’t do that,” Johnson added.

The agency, however, has already received $75 billion through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025 — enough to fund the agency’s operations at least through 2026. House Republicans stressed that it was unclear whether those funds could legally be used to finance all of ICE’s operations.

Instead of passing the Senate’s plan, the House introduced its own plan Friday night, which would extend DHS funding at current levels for two months, giving lawmakers more time to continue negotiations on ICE.

The House version is likely dead as soon as it arrives in the Senate.

TSA CALLS HIT HOUSTON, ATLANTA AND NEW ORLEANS HARDEST, 450 OFFICERS LEFT NATIONWIDE

A map highlights the cities selected to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Olivianna Calmes)

As lawmakers continue their discussions over the impasse over ICE funding, DHS spokespeople also echoed Fetterman’s calls to restore travel operations, denouncing the cumulative effects of repeated shutdowns.

“Now, 366 TSA agents have left the force. As a result of the DHS shutdown, Americans are facing endless hours of waits at airports across the country. Democrats must reopen DHS now,” Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a press release.

Although Trump signed an executive order Friday to fund TSA employee salaries, the agency also noted that while the closure resolution appears encouraging, domestic travel security would take time to recover.

“TSA does not have the luxury of time. The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, less than three months away. We anticipate a significant influx of passengers as fans pass through our airports to attend matches,” DHS said in a press release.

“Even if TSA were to hire new agents when the DHS shutdown ends, those agents would not be able to work the checkpoint until well after the World Cup ends.”

DHS DEAL IN LIMBO AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND HARDER ICE Crackdown DESPITE GOP COMPROMISE

In a recent interview with NBC News, Senator John Fetterman said he is “not a progressive.” (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Fetterman urged members of his own party to focus on the country’s exceptional travel needs instead of continuing to pursue their demands.

“[It’s] it’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify extending this shutdown,” Fetterman said.