TSA Workers Keep Working Without Pay as White House Turns Down Musk's Offer to Help

Millions of spring break travelers are facing hours-long security lines at airports nationwide — and the federal workers screening them still haven't received a paycheck. A high-profile offer to fix that problem, at least temporarily, has now been officially turned down by the White House.

Elon Musk proposed on social media last Saturday to personally cover the salaries of Transportation Security Administration workers caught in the middle of a partial government shutdown. Writing on X, Musk said he wanted to pay TSA employees' wages "during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country."

The offer drew an initial signal of approval from President Donald Trump, who said on Monday, "Let him do that." But the White House reversed course shortly after, citing legal barriers that make the arrangement unworkable.

"We greatly appreciate Elon's generous offer," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an emailed statement. "This would pose great legal challenges due to his involvement with federal government contracts."

CBS News first reported that the administration had formally rejected the proposal. Federal law prohibits executive branch employees from receiving pay or financial contributions from nongovernmental sources — a rule put in place to guard against conflicts of interest and corruption. Because Musk holds federal government contracts through his businesses, the legal complications were seen as insurmountable.

Administration officials had explored at least one workaround: routing any funds Musk donated through the government's general fund, an account designated for public gifts to the U.S. government. That path was ultimately not pursued.

The Shutdown's Toll on TSA

The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security began in February, and TSA workers — classified as essential employees — have been required to keep showing up even as their paychecks stopped. Some are now approaching a second missed paycheck.

The strain is showing. Callout rates among affected TSA employees have risen sharply, and DHS reported earlier this week that more than 450 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began. On Thursday, wait times of more than four hours were anticipated at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport alone.

In an attempt to ease the crunch, between 100 and 150 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed Monday to several major airports across the country, including both of Houston's major commercial airports. The move has not yet meaningfully reduced wait times.

A Political Stalemate With No End in Sight

Congressional negotiations over reopening DHS have stalled. Democrats have pushed to fund all of the department except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing the deaths of two people in Minneapolis in January during an ICE operation. Republicans have blocked that approach, and the two sides remain deadlocked as Democrats press for broader reforms to federal immigration enforcement.

Jackson placed the blame for the ongoing situation squarely on the opposing party, saying "the fastest way to ensure TSA employees — and all DHS employees — get paid is for Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security."

With spring break travel in full swing and airport lines showing no signs of shortening, the pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal is mounting by the day.