WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) – Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the world\u2019s richest person, said on Saturday he would cover the paychecks of \u200cU.S. Transportation Security Administration officers during their second unpaid work stoppage \u200cin six months amid a protracted federal funding lapse.<\/p>\n
The budget impasse over funding for the TSA\u2019s \u200bparent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, is in its fifth week. Screeners and other TSA personnel are days away from missing a second full paycheck, but are being pressured to show up as screening times at some \u200cairports stretch on for hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cI \u2060would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting \u2060the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,\u201d Musk said in a post on his social media platform X.<\/p>\n
DHS, TSA and representatives for Musk \u200bdid \u200bnot immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
Airlines \u200band travel groups say absences \u200camong the TSA\u2019s roughly 50,000 airport security officers could increase again this weekend.<\/p>\n
TSA staffers earn an average of $61,000 annually, according to federal data. Airports are running food drives and accepting donations for security screeners amid the partial U.S. government shutdown.<\/p>\n
DHS funding timelines remain uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said \u200con Friday that bipartisan negotiators have narrowed \u200bthe remaining disputes over DHS funding, but \u200ba deal has not been \u200bfinalized. Democrats in Congress in February agreed to fund most \u200cof the government in exchange for \u200bwithholding funds from DHS \u200bfollowing the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota by immigration authorities.<\/p>\n
Last year, President Donald Trump said a wealthy donor provided $130 million \u200bto help cover possible \u200cmilitary pay shortfalls caused by that government shutdown, which lasted 43 \u200bdays and was the longest in U.S. history.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Mike Scarcella; \u200bEditing by Sergio Non, Rod Nickel)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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