Long lines have formed at major United States airports as employees of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continue to work without pay or have quit due to a partial government shutdown.
TSA workers still on duty have been working without pay for over a month, while more than 400 have quit their jobs.
As a result, videos have been spread across social media for the long lines at some of the country's busiest airports.
Absences have spiked more than 10% in recent days, causing hours of delays for passengers waiting to get through security checkpoints at some airports.
Senate Republicans and Democrats continue to debate a proposal that would allow funding to resume for TSA and other Department of Homeland Security agencies.
A senior official at TSA, Ha McNeill, told a U.S. House committee that if more workers quit, it may be hard to handle the major traffic expected during the upcoming soccer World Cup.
McNeill said some TSA agents were "sleeping in their cars at airports to save gas money, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second and third jobs to make ends meet, all while expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the travelling public".
These delays also come amid the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, which resulted in major disruptions for international travel from cancelled or rerouted flights to heightened energy prices and security concerns.
When both disruptions are taken into consideration, analysts warn that the situation has created an image of system dysfunction and calls into question the safety and reliability of the country’s air travel system.
“For years we’ve bragged about how the U.S. has the best and safest aviation system in the world,” said William McGee, a researcher and consumer advocate at the American Economic Liberties Project.
“I’m not sure that’s something we get to say anymore.”
To negate the impacts of TSA workers walking off the job, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would deploy ICE agents to airports.
This plan was slammed by many, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Federation of Government Employees and some Democrats.
