Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned on Tuesday that the department's emergency funds to pay Transportation Security Administration workers will run out by early May, potentially leaving 50,000 airport screeners without paychecks again.

Mullin announced an appearance on "Fox & Friends," stating that DHS payroll exceeds $1.6 billion every two weeks. After the next paycheck, no emergency funds will remain, preventing President Donald Trump from issuing another executive order to cover salaries. The partial government shutdown affecting DHS began on February 14, marking its 65th day on Tuesday.

The funding lapse stems from a congressional standoff. Democrats have demanded new constraints on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations, including requirements for judicial warrants before entering private homes, following the fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. Republicans insist on funding the entire department without such reforms. Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Democrats of prioritizing "illegal aliens over Americans’ safety and law enforcement."

In late March, Trump directed DHS to tap $10 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a prior spending measure, to pay TSA workers who had gone unpaid for about six weeks. This followed similar disruptions last autumn during an earlier shutdown. More than 500 TSA officers have quit since mid-February amid the uncertainty, exacerbating staffing shortages.

The previous unpaid period led to severe airport disruptions, with security lines exceeding four hours at some locations, the longest in TSA's nearly 25-year history. Absences among screeners doubled, prompting warnings of potential closures at smaller airports. Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu stressed the urgency, saying, "You cannot ask these (TSA officers) to go through this a third time."

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Republicans will pursue DHS funding through reconciliation this week, allowing a simple majority vote in the Senate to approve a three-year budget blueprint without Democratic support. "In the coming days, the House will be working closely with the Senate," Johnson said. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar criticized the approach, arguing it ignores demands for agency reforms.

Mullin urged Congress to act swiftly, noting the risks to aviation security if screeners face financial hardship again. The impasse has already strained TSA operations, with deferred pay contributing to higher turnover and slower screening times nationwide.