Elon Musk offered Saturday to personally fund the salaries of Transportation Security Administration personnel as a congressional funding standoff disrupted air travel nationwide.

In a post on X early Saturday, Musk wrote, "I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country." The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who co-chairs the Department of Government Efficiency, made the proposal as tens of thousands of TSA officers worked without paychecks for over a month.

The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security began in mid-February when Congress failed to approve funding, marking the third such lapse in less than six months. Republicans have repeatedly advanced bills to fully fund DHS, but Senate Democrats blocked them, demanding separate appropriations that exclude immigration enforcement amid disputes over border policy.

TSA agents, deemed essential, must report for duty despite delayed pay. More than 366 officers have resigned since the lapse began, and absenteeism has spiked, with rates exceeding 50% at some airports like Houston on recent weekends. Security lines have stretched beyond three hours at major hubs including Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia and New Orleans, exacerbating spring break travel chaos.

The Department of Homeland Security warned of heightened security risks from staffing shortages, while airports have resorted to donation boxes and gift cards for agents. A TSA union leader noted that risks would worsen ahead of major events, compounded by a hiring freeze.

CEOs of major airlines, including American, Delta and Southwest, urged Congress last week to guarantee pay for TSA and air traffic controllers during future shutdowns, citing strained operations. The Senate's latest attempt to advance funding failed Friday, prolonging the impasse.

It remains unclear how Musk's offer could be implemented, given legal hurdles for private funding of federal salaries. No immediate responses came from the White House, Congress or TSA as of Saturday morning.