TSA will work if Homeland Security shuts down

If the Department of Homeland Security shuts down at midnight because of lack of budget funding, the majority of employees working for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will still come to work.

Screening officers at security checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport will remain on the job, said TSA spokesman Michael McCarthy.

"As a counterterrorism organization, our dedicated and professional workforce will - in the event of a shutdown - continue to secure our nation's transportation systems, without pay, just as they did during the government shutdown of 2013," said TSA acting administrator Melvin Carraway. "Over ninety percent of our workforce - that's about 50,000 employees - would continue to report to duty."

About 6 percent of TSA workers - nonessential support staff - would be furloughed. All hiring and training would cease, as would travel associated with routine planned security inspections, Caraway said. Deployment of new security technology equipment also would potentially be delayed.

"Although TSA is most recognized and known for our work in nearly 450 airports, our national security mission includes mass transit and passenger rail, as well as pipeline and container traffic," Carraway said. "These transportation systems play a vital role in driving the engine of our economy."

"The majority of TSA personnel, including frontline operational and support personnel, rely on biweekly paychecks to support themselves and their families," he said. "If DHS does not receive funding, these employees would not receive biweekly paychecks for their work during the shutdown, until Congress acts. They deserve better than the proposition of coming to work every day on an IOU."

The 850,000 federal employees furloughed during a 16-day partial government shutdown in October 2013 did later receive back pay.

lloyd@phillynews.com

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