Delta Drops Congress Perk, Airports Gridlock

0:00On March 24, Delta Airlines has stopped its special airport assistance for members of Congress as security lines drag on nationwide during the rush, partial government shutdown. This comes right after the Senate unanimously passed a measure ending lawmakers fast-track access through checkpoints, airport officials in Atlanta, home to the world's busiest hub, and Delta's headquarters now urge travelers to plan for at least four hours to clear. Security for both domestic and international flights because of federal staffing issues. TSA workers have gone unpaid since mid-February, funding lapsed, leading to more than 400 officers quitting and callouts everywhere. This has shut down some checkpoints in slow travel across the country, hitting everyday flyers hard. Airlines CEOs, including Delta's Ed Bastion, sent an open letter to Congress this month, calling for a fix so aviation staff get paid in future. Shut down. They highlighted the struggles of officers facing empty paychecks amid rising costs.

1:01President Trump announced over the weekend that immigration and customs enforcement officers will help TSA at airports nationwide. Still, experts warned things could worsen at smaller airports without a quick end to the Capitol Hill deadlock over Homeland Security funding.