TSA union leader George Borek joins ‘Varney & Co. to discuss the challenges unpaid TSA agents face. He points to a 37% call rate in Atlanta and warns that the situation will worsen if DHS funding is not resolved.
A top TSA union leader warned about this on Thursday security risks at airports related to the ongoing government shutdown will “worsen,” highlighting a critical issue that he says has gone largely unnoticed.
“TSA has had a hiring freeze since last year, so if you look at what we had in the fall, the 50 days we had without a shutdown, we have people who have left, who have retired,” TSA union leader George Borek told “Varney & Co.”
“The acting director said yesterday that we had 400 foreign officers who have so far indicated they are leaving,” he added.
“That number will grow exponentially.”
TSA Officials Skip Work as Paychecks Stop During Shutdown, Airports Face Chaos Nationwide
Travelers and staff walk through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on March 13, 2025. (Annabelle Gordon/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Borek said the problem will only worsen as the agency struggles to replace those who have left, noting how long it takes to get officers certified for checkpoints.
That struggle could worsen as the busiest travel season of the year approaches and an expected increase in the number of international fliers arriving in the U.S. for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
‘EMPTY REFRIGERATORS AND EXPANSION NOTICES’: TSA UNION LEADERS DEMAND AN END TO DHS Shutdown
People wait in long TSA lines as the partial government shutdown at airports like Chicago O’Hare in Chicago on March 9 continues for several weeks. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“The other part is, what happens once this is settled?” he asked.
“Will we continue to have the resources we need to do our work effectively?”
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TSA union leader George Borek joins ‘Varney & Co. to discuss the challenges unpaid TSA agents face. He points to a 37% call rate in Atlanta and warns that the situation will worsen if DHS funding is not resolved.
TSA agents have gone unpaid since the start of the partial government shutdown, forcing airports like Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson find ways to mitigate the difficulties some officers face financially.
The dispute stems from a political standoff in Washington over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, raising concerns about potential security gaps as the government shutdown continues with no end in sight.
