Trump Said 'No' to Deal That Could Have Paid TSA Agents by End of Week, Republican Senator Says

John Kennedy has revealed that Donald Trump rejected a deal that could have quickly brought relief to thousands of unpaid US airport workers.

The Republican senator says the president personally shut down a bipartisan compromise that would have finally satisfied the many Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees who have been working tirelessly at the nation's airports without receiving a pay cheque. If the deal had been approved, Kennedy insists, the workers would have been 'paid by the end of the week'.

John Kennedy Shares Trump's Decision to Turn Down Bipartisan Deal

On Monday, 23 March, Kennedy spoke to Fox News, where he revealed that Trump did not approve the bipartisan deal that would have ensured that thousands of TSA workers would finally get paid this week.

'As is his right, he said no. No deals with the Democrats,' Kennedy said. 'So we're back to square one.'

He added that, 'It would have worked. We could have had TSA paid by the end of the week, but the president said no deals.'

Why TSA Workers Still Are Not Being Paid

TSA workers across the United States have gone several weeks without pay as a result of a prolonged political stand‑off in Washington, as lawmakers and the White House have been unable to agree on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The crisis stems from a partial federal government shutdown that began on 14 February 2026, after Congress failed to pass a funding bill for DHS, the agency that oversees TSA. Because TSA operations rely on congressional appropriations to cover salaries, the funding lapse has forced tens of thousands of airport security officers to continue working without pay.

In addition to the dispute, there is a broader political battle over immigration policy. While Democrats have been pushing for reforms to agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Republicans have resisted those changes and sought to tie DHS funding to stricter enforcement measures. The disagreement has stalled efforts to pass a budget, leaving TSA workers caught in the middle. Despite not being paid, they are still required to work because their roles are considered essential to national security.

Will Trump Eventually Approve the Bipartisan Deal for the Sake of Unpaid TSA Workers?

Several efforts have already been made to ensure that TSA workers are paid for all their hard work. The bipartisan compromise itself would have temporarily funded DHS and ensured that the workers finally received their salaries, while setting aside more contentious immigration issues. However, Trump himself decided against the deal, insisting that any agreement must include support for his proposed 'SAVE America Act', which is a separate voting and policy measure.

The decision has effectively blocked the compromise, leading to hundreds of TSA officials resigning and several workers choosing not to report for duty.

For now, it appears unlikely that Trump will change his mind about forcing thousands of essential personnel to work without being paid. Until then, TSA workers may have to keep showing up simply to prevent America's aviation system from grinding to a halt.