TSA Gets Paid03/31/2026Good news for air travelers. Frustrating security lines dwindled at U.S. airports Monday, clearing the worst bottlenecks as TSA officers began receiving back pay for working during the government shutdown. What was a four-hour checkpoint line at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport turned into a wait of 10 minutes or less. In previous trouble spots such as Atlanta and Baltimore-Washington International Airport, travelers were moving smoothly to their flights. President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately to ease the lines plaguing airports.