Delta Air Lines pulled the plug on its VIP services for members of Congress on Tuesday morning, citing the toll of the prolonged government shutdown. The Atlanta-based carrier confirmed the move as TSA security lines at major airports have ballooned to hours-long waits, throwing the first weekend of the busy spring travel season into disarray.
A Delta spokesperson said the airline would "temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta" because of "the impact on resources from the long-standing government shutdown." The spokesperson added, "Next to safety, Delta's no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment."
According to Fox Business, the Department of Homeland Security has now been unfunded for 38 days, according to Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, TSA security lines reached up to nine hours long, according to some reports. An advisory posted on ATL.com Tuesday morning urged passengers to "allow at least 4 hours or more for domestic and international screenings."
The issue has sparked sharp debate on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers facing growing pressure from both sides of the aisle to resolve the standoff. The consequences of the shutdown are no longer abstract — they are showing up in every airport terminal in the country, and now in the travel perks lawmakers themselves once enjoyed.
Last week, the Senate approved by unanimous consent a proposal introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to end special airport screening privileges for members of Congress. Cornyn did not mince words on the Senate floor: "As many Americans probably don't know but most of us in Washington do know, airports around the country allow Members of Congress to bypass the usual TSA security screening process at airports nationwide."
He added bluntly, "In other words, they get to skip the line." Cornyn framed the measure as a trust-building exercise, stating, "We know trust in Congress is at an all-time low, but today, thank goodness, the Senate has taken an important step towards restoring the trust of the people we are here to represent." The bill still required House approval and the president's signature before becoming law.
Behind the scenes, a potential path forward has emerged. Sen. Kennedy said he and Sen. Ted Cruz developed a "two-step process" to resolve the impasse a few days ago. The plan would reopen all DHS agencies except Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including TSA, with bipartisan support.
ICE would then be funded separately through reconciliation, requiring only Republican votes. "We would not need any Democratic votes," Kennedy explained. The approach hinges on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who Kennedy said was pitched the plan a couple of days ago.
Kennedy recounted that Thune relayed the idea to President Donald Trump, who initially rejected it. "President Trump, as you know, from his tweets said, no," Kennedy noted. But after speaking with Thune the previous night, Kennedy said: "The president has reconsidered and may be on board."
President Trump has drawn both praise and criticism for deploying ICE agents to assist TSA at the most strained airports. An on-site FOX Business report found that TSA lines in Atlanta had largely been resolved after ICE agents arrived, though specific details on timing and methodology were not provided.
Passing the SAVE America Act before the midterms is a top priority for the Trump administration. The Senate has been debating the legislation for roughly 10 days, according to Kennedy, who expressed frustration with the gridlock. "I'm a big believer that when you're stuck, you ought to try to plow around the stump, not through it," he said. Republicans are also eyeing the shutdown as a political weapon in key Senate races. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has targeted Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., over his continued votes that have kept DHS unfunded, viewing his seat as a potential flip in November.
An NRSC regional press secretary accused Ossoff of using "Georgians as political pawns" and called on him to "stop putting illegals first and end his DHS shutdown." Delta shares (ticker: DAL) were trading at $66.64 on Tuesday, up $1.50, or 2.31%, suggesting investors were not panicking — at least not yet.
For everyday travelers, the message is straightforward: plan for significant delays. The ATL.com advisory recommending four-plus hours of lead time is not a suggestion — it is a survival guide for anyone flying through a major hub right now. Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl has warned that wait times could worsen and small airports may face shutdowns if Congress does not act.
From a free-market perspective, this episode illustrates the cascading cost of government dysfunction on private enterprise. Delta did not create this problem — Congress did. When the government fails to fund its own agencies, airlines, passengers, and the broader travel economy absorb the consequences. The question now is whether lawmakers will feel enough pressure — perhaps starting with losing their own airport perks — to finally strike a deal.