Elon Musk has offered to pay the salaries of TSA workers who are currently working without pay because of the partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.
Congress is locked in a standoff over DHS funding, with Democrats demanding reforms as a condition of supporting funding. Republicans are refusing to budge on the issue, arguing that reforms should be taken up separately.
In a post on X, Musk wrote, “I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country.”
I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2026
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) praised Musk’s offer and criticized his fellow Democrats for holding up DHS funding.
“TSA agents across the country are relying on food pantries and community donations just to get by,” he wrote. “I remain the lone Dem to vote with my Republican colleagues to fully fund DHS and get people paid.”
This is incredibly generous.
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) March 21, 2026
TSA agents across the country are relying on food pantries and community donations just to get by.
I remain the lone Dem to vote with my Republican colleagues to fully fund DHS and get people paid.
It should never come to this point. https://t.co/MmUnAcdvIa
The Senate has still not broken the deadlock over DHS funding. The White House released a new offer listing five immigration policy changes it is willing to institute, Politico reported.
The White House, in five points, said it was willing to codify a number of policy changes, including an expansion of the use of body cameras for federal immigration agents; the limit of enforcement in certain sensitive locations, including hospitals and schools; greater oversight of DHS detention facilities; the enforcement of visible officer identification and the adherence to existing law prohibiting the deportation or detention of U.S. citizens.
“We feel that this offer is serious — that it is a good faith attempt to continue to try to come to a reasonable and expeditious conclusion to the shutdown, which we are now seeing is becoming ever more disruptive on Americans’ travel plans, as well as the security mission at the department,” said a senior White House official granted anonymity to describe the private talks.
Democrats dismissed the offer, saying it was not enough because it did not include a comprehensive ban on ICE officers wearing masks or other face coverings and a requirement for agents to obtain a judicial warrant before entering private property to carry out investigations.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the offer “seems wholly inadequate” and “fails to provide the kind of reforms the American people are demanding.”
It probably wouldn’t be possible for Musk to follow through on his offer. Executive branch employees typically are not allowed to receive outside salary supplements from private citizens for their government work.