WASHINGTON — Just when you thought we were done with shutdown drama for a while, here we go again. TSA officers are sounding the alarm that airport security operations could take a serious hit if Department of Homeland Security funding runs out at midnight on February 13, 2026. And honestly? They've got every reason to be concerned. The timing couldn't be much worse. We're talking about a potential disruption just months after air travelers and security officers alike barely recovered from the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Now, with another funding fight brewing in Washington, the 60,000 TSA officers who screen roughly 2 million passengers every single day are staring down the barrel of yet another financial mess.
What a DHS Shutdown Means for Airport Security
Let's be clear: planes won't stop flying. TSA officers are considered essential personnel, which means they'll still show up for work even if the government shuts down. But here's the catch; they won't get paid until the shutdown ends. And that creates a whole cascade of problems that anyone who flew during the last shutdown will remember all too well. During the previous funding lapse, more than 1,100 TSA officers called it quits. That's a more than 25% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to Travel. When people aren't getting paychecks, they start looking for jobs that actually pay them. It's not exactly rocket science. The fallout from that exodus is still being felt at security checkpoints across the country. Many TSA officers say they're still dealing with the financial and emotional aftermath of the last shutdown. Credit cards got maxed out. Bills went unpaid. Savings accounts got drained. Now they're facing the possibility of doing it all over again.
The Numbers Behind the Threat
Ha Nguyen McNeill, TSA's acting administrator, has been pretty blunt about the economic impact. "Shutdowns adding negative on the American economy," McNeill said, according to Travel. It's a simple statement, but it captures a complicated truth; these funding fights don't just affect government workers. They ripple out to everyone who needs to get through an airport. During the last shutdown, TSA absenteeism hit 10% at some airports. Wait times stretched past 30 minutes regularly. And that was during a relatively slow travel period. A shutdown now, heading into spring break season, could be significantly worse. The current stalemate centers on partisan budget disputes that have been dragging on since January. House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro introduced a bill on February 11, 2026, that would fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard while excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The Senate failed to advance the House DHS funding bill just one day later, on February 12, 2026.
More Than Just Airport Lines
The potential shutdown affects far more than airport security, of course. Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala, who leads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), put it succinctly: "When government shuts, our do not," according to Travel. Cyber threats don't pause for congressional budget fights. Neither do natural disasters, which is why FEMA's Keith Turri warned that "this situation would hinder planning and joint efforts, affecting relief outcomes." An oversight hearing on February 11, 2026, examined these broader impacts. The budget proposals currently on the table range from the House's $64.8 billion to the Senate's $60.5 billion, with the President requesting $65 billion. That's a relatively narrow range, which makes the inability to find common ground all the more frustrating for the people who'll bear the brunt of a shutdown. FEMA at least has a buffer; about $7 billion in disaster relief funding that could last one to two months even without new appropriations. TSA doesn't have that luxury.
What Air Travelers Should Expect
If you've got flights booked in the coming weeks, you're probably wondering what this means for your travel plans. The honest answer is that it depends on how long any potential shutdown lasts and how many TSA officers decide they can't afford to work without pay. In the short term, you should probably add extra time to your airport arrival. Security lines could get longer, especially at busy hubs. TSA PreCheck might move faster than standard screening, but even expedited lines could slow down if staffing gets tight. Longer term, if this shutdown drags on like the last one did, expect the situation to deteriorate. Officers will start calling in sick or leaving for jobs that actually pay. Lines will get worse. Tensions will rise. It's a cycle we've seen before, and there's no reason to think this time would be different.
The Bottom Line
Nobody wins when the government shuts down over budget disputes. Not the TSA officers who show up to work without knowing when they'll get paid. Not the travelers who get stuck in hour-long security lines. And certainly not the broader economy that takes a hit every time Washington can't get its act together. DHS funding expires at midnight on February 13, 2026, following an extension passed via a February 3 continuing resolution. Whether Congress can find a path forward before then remains to be seen. For now, TSA officers are warning us what's coming. It'd be nice if someone in Washington was listening.
About the Author
Bob Vidra
Bob Vidra, based in scenic Tahoe, is an esteemed tech editor known for his deep understanding of the dynamic intersection of technology, travel, and the outdoors.
