Summary

A month-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown has pushed the TSA to a breaking point, with unpaid workers forced to choose between national security and feeding their families. As Michael Gold and Karin Demersian reveal, the resulting "call-outs" have created the longest wait times in history, leaving travelers stranded while politicians use airport misery as a bargaining chip for ICE reforms.

Key Topics

• TSA Call-Out Contagion: The phenomenon where unpaid security officers skip shifts to pursue immediate income elsewhere. It matters because it creates a feedback loop of delays that can lead to the total closure of smaller airport terminals.
• Dramatic Irony in Governance: The situation where a shutdown intended to reform ICE results in ICE agents being used to replace the very workers (TSA) who are suffering because of that shutdown. It highlights the unintended consequences of legislative brinkmanship.
• Aviation Training Lag: The four-to-six-month period required to onboard new security personnel. This means current staff departures create a long-term security deficit that cannot be quickly fixed by funding alone.
• Policy Logrolling: The practice of linking unrelated bills (like the Save America Act on voter ID) to essential funding measures. In this context, it acts as a barrier to resolving the immediate national security crisis at airports.

Key Takeaways

• Download and utilize the MyTSA app to monitor live checkpoint wait times and crowdsourced security data.
• Arrive at major hubs at least five hours prior to departure for the duration of the DHS shutdown.
• Contact your Congressional representative to advocate for the decoupling of TSA funding from broader immigration reform.
• Audit your travel insurance policy to ensure coverage for 'government-related delays' or 'security failures'.