(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The White House is proposing to cut more than 9,400 Workers and ​just over $1.5 billion from the 60,000-Employee Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that handles airport security operations, according to budget documents, Reuters’ David Shepardson reports. The details are part of a budget ‌document for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees TSA, that is part of the White House budget ⁠proposal for the next fiscal year. Congress will ​hold hearings on the White House ⁠budget request later this month as Lawmakers aim to reach a new budget deal ‌before the fiscal year ‌ends on September 30th. Some Republican Lawmakers have pushed to privatize TSA ⁠completely. The budget details were unrelated to the funding ⁠impasse in Congress over DHS for the current year, which has caused airport delays as TSA Workers went without paychecks.

Following President Donald Trump’s Executive Order announcement, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley issued a statement expressing gratitude TSA Officers represented by AFGE would be paid - and called on Congress to pass a measure to pay all DHS Employees, including thousands of Workers represented by AFGE at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, Cybersecurity and at the Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and others. “Congress needs to continue working to pass a real, bipartisan appropriations deal that funds DHS, pays all DHS Workers and keeps these vital Agencies running - even if that means canceling their upcoming vacation,” Kelley said. On April 3rd, Trump signed a memo directing DHS to pay all remaining Employees, including back pay. Following Congress’s departure for a two-week vacation amid their failure to pass a Spending Bill, Kelley immediately called on them to return to Washington to fund DHS. “Come back to Washington. Honor your oath. Do your job,” Kelley said.

For More On This Labor News Story, Go To: Trump proposes to cut 9,400 TSA workers, $1.5 billion from budget | KSL.com And AFGE | AFGE Leaders Slam Congress for Vacationing While DHS Workers Go Unpaid; Urges Immediate Return to Washington