The deadlock over funding for the Department of Homeland Security continues to intensify in the U.S. Congress on Friday. The Senate is currently voting on the relevant appropriations bill, but expected votes still fall short. If senators fail to take action before the weekend, the government shutdown will set a new record for duration on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives held its third vote on the funding issue that day and considered a resolution primarily symbolic, expressing support for the Department of Homeland Security. As the Senate remains slow to advance the matter, growing anxiety among House members is becoming evident. The real-world impact of the shutdown has rapidly expanded, with airport security systems bearing particularly severe strain. According to reports cited by the Associated Press, absenteeism rates among Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel at multiple airports have already surpassed 40%, and more than 480 TSA officers have resigned. On Wednesday, Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill testified before the House, stating that some employees "are sleeping in their cars, surviving by selling plasma and working second jobs." In certain airports, security screening wait times have exceeded four hours, and the risk of airport closures is rising. Senate Republican Leader John Thune said the situation will soon be resolved. To ease public discontent and continue obscuring the fact that Republicans are unwilling to back their own budget proposal excluding ICE funding, Trump is preparing to sign an executive order first providing pay for airport security personnel.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860788963080330/
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