Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), has a clear message for lawmakers ahead of the Easter recess: do not get on a plane if you're not going to pay TSA agents. The message came as we're more than 40 days into the Democrats' latest government shutdown.
AFGE president tells lawmakers ‘do not get on a plane’ for Easter recess without paying TSA https://t.co/FGaDWDNcog
— The Hill (@thehill) March 25, 2026
The AFGE is America's largest federal employee union, representing more than 800,000 federal and D.C. workers.
The president of the largest federal workers union warned lawmakers on Tuesday not to leave Washington for Easter recess without first striking a deal to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers and other government employees, as the partial government shutdown has now stretched to 39 days.
“Don’t even think about going home for Easter recess while tens of thousands of American families are going without paychecks,” Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), said at a virtual press conference Tuesday.
“Do not get on a plane that a TSA officer screened for free and fly home for Easter dinner and tell these people that you’re working on it,” he continued.
Kelley threw his support behind a reported deal to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including TSA, whose officers have now worked for weeks without pay. But the AFGE president expressed reluctance to fully embrace the news reports without seeing concrete legislative text.
Democrats have continually refused to pay TSA, hoping to leverage the suffering of the unpaid workers and stressed-out travelers to abolish ICE and essentially repeal our immigration laws.
This all seems so ridiculous. They are able to pay these people in a standalone bill and deal with the other stuff separately. There is no legitimate reason for the Democrats to keep doing this to America
— 🤔 (@Jamaica658) March 25, 2026
The pain and suffering is the point.
Kelley has some support from the last sane Democrat in Congress, Senator John Fetterman. "This shutdown is punitive, destructive, and reckless," Fetterman wrote on X.
Stop talking about “affordability” while voting to deprive their paychecks.
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) March 25, 2026
This shutdown is punitive, destructive and reckless.
I stand with @AFGENational. Pay these workers and end this shutdown. pic.twitter.com/DnYjWr8k2Y
Thank you, Senator.
Thanks, John. You need to have a group chat with your dumba** liberal colleagues and tell them to actually start caring about America instead of illegals. All of you should vote YES on the SAVE America Act which is what the overwhelming majority of your constituents want!…
— Kenny (@indykenro1) March 25, 2026
Fetterman has been very critical of his fellow Democrats, which is why they hate him and will likely primary him in 2028.
Much to their detriment.
@SenSchumer Thank you, Senator Schumer and the Democrats!
— Anthony D. Stephens (@A_D_STEPHENS) March 25, 2026
By blocking DHS funding for 40+ days and forcing TSA into chaos, you've single-handedly brought ICE to America's airports… permanently.
What a brilliant national security upgrade! Shorter lines, real ID checks, and…
Democrats didn't think this one through, did they?