Delta Airlines has announced it is temporarily suspending specialty services for members of Congress as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security continues into its sixth week.
The airline's specialty services, which include airport escorts and red coat services that streamline travel for lawmakers, were paused due to resource constraints caused by the prolonged shutdown. Under the suspension, members of Congress will be treated like any other passenger based on their SkyMiles status.
The Department of Homeland Security has been in a partial shutdown since mid-February. The stalemate over funding has left TSA officers working without pay, leading to staffing shortages and increased wait times at airports across the country.
The suspension was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Delta CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC last week that he was 'outraged' by the ongoing shutdown, which has forced security agents to work without compensation.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have objected to votes on Democratic proposals, pressing instead to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security without conditions. The party has argued that tying ICE reform to DHS funding puts essential security functions at risk and punishes TSA workers who are caught in the middle of policy disputes unrelated to their work.
Last week, a bill from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to prohibit preferential screening at airports for members of Congress cleared the Senate. The legislation, which has not yet been taken up by the House, would end a longstanding perk that allowed lawmakers to bypass standard security lines.
Republicans have called on Democrats to pass a clean funding bill to end the shutdown and restore pay for TSA workers. The party has argued that the ongoing standoff is politically motivated and harms federal employees who are being used as 'political chips,' a phrase echoed by Delta's CEO.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Saturday that Democrats are having 'productive conversations' on ICE reforms but that this process should not get in the way of funding TSA workers immediately. 'Let's keep negotiating the outstanding issues with ICE while sending paychecks to TSA workers now,' Schumer said. 'Let us end those long lines at the airport now. This is the logical, expedient, correct thing to do.'
Democrats have refused to vote on a full DHS funding bill until changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement are implemented. Congressional Democrats have tied the funding vote to demands for ICE reforms, arguing that the agency needs structural changes before receiving additional appropriations. The party has proposed funding DHS with carveouts that would exclude funding for ICE and CBP, aiming to address what they describe as systemic problems in immigration enforcement.
The shutdown began after the killing of two U.S. citizens by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis, an event that Democrats have cited as justification for their stance on ICE funding. Progressive members of the caucus have argued that the incident demonstrates the need for fundamental changes to immigration enforcement before any new funding is approved.
What the Numbers Show
The DHS partial shutdown has now lasted approximately six weeks, beginning in mid-February. The Department oversees both TSA and Customs and Border Protection, two agencies that have been significantly impacted by the funding lapse.
TSA officers, who number in the tens of thousands, have been working without pay during this period. The agency has reported widespread staff shortages as employees call in sick or unable to work due to financial hardship.
Other major airlines have not announced changes to their specialty services for Congress. A Southwest Airlines spokesperson told NPR the airline 'continues to engage with our federal partners and joins the airline industry in urging Congress to fund the TSA and CBP without further delay.'
The Bottom Line
The suspension of Delta's specialty services represents a tangible consequence of the DHS funding stalemate for members of Congress, who now face the same airport experience as ordinary travelers. The move underscores how the shutdown is affecting both government employees and the lawmakers overseeing the departments in question.
Negotiations continue between Senate Democrats and the White House, with both sides trading proposals on ICE reforms. Schumer has indicated progress in talks but has not specified a timeline for reaching an agreement that could break the impasse.
The Senate bill prohibiting preferential screening for Congress members now awaits action in the House. If passed, it would mark the first time lawmakers are legally required to undergo standard security procedures, regardless of their position.
What to watch: Whether Democrats can accept interim funding for TSA while negotiations on ICE continue, and whether the House will take up the Cornyn bill. The White House and congressional leadership remain far apart on the fundamental question of whether ICE funding should be part of any DHS spending bill.