Technology billionaire Elon Musk posted on X on 21/3, stating, "I would like to offer to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees during this budget impasse, a situation that is negatively affecting the lives of many US citizens at airports across the country."

Musk, the world's richest individual, did not specify the amount required to cover the salaries of TSA employees, who are responsible for security screening at airports.

It remains unclear if a legal mechanism exists for an individual to directly pay government employees. The Transportation Security Administration and the Office of Management and Budget have not yet responded to the proposal.

Contributions to the government are typically channeled through the Department of the Treasury, which manages the national budget, and are then allocated according to congressional budget regulations, similar to other federal funding sources.

Billionaire Elon Musk in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 3/2025. Photo: AP

Approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees have been working without pay for over a month due to a partial government shutdown. This situation stems from a congressional divide over the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) budget. During the period when DHS awaits renewed funding, TSA personnel, deemed "essential workers", are still required to report for duty at airports.

Elon Musk's proposal comes amid increasing travel demand from Americans during spring break. Security screening lines at airports across the US have become chaotic, with queues extending outside terminals in some locations.

Some Transportation Security Administration employees have not reported for work, and officials warn that smaller airports may face closure if this situation persists.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that Transportation Security Administration employees are not expected to receive their second paycheck on 27/3. A law enacted in 2019 stipulates that TSA employees who continue working during a government shutdown will receive retroactive pay once the government resumes operations and funding is allocated.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration employee absenteeism at airports reached 10% last weekend, a significant increase from the normal rate of under 2%. Some airports reported much higher absenteeism rates, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York at 29%, Atlanta at 32%, and New Orleans at 27% on 18/3.

Since the shutdown began, 366 Transportation Security Administration employees have resigned, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Since the beginning of this year, Democrats have opposed providing additional funding for Department of Homeland Security forces. These include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), two units tasked with carrying out the immigration enforcement and mass deportation campaigns of President Donald Trump's administration.

Democratic senators have advanced a series of smaller bills to fund specific agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, such as the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as other agencies unrelated to immigration enforcement. However, these efforts have faced opposition from Republicans.

By Huyen Le (Based on USA Today, Reuters)