The Trump administration has apparently turned down Elon Musk's offer to fund TSA workers impacted by the partial government shutdown.
In a statement to Scripps News, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said that they "greatly appreciate Elon's generous offer," but noted it could face legal challenges because his companies hold government contracts.
"The fastest way to ensure TSA employees — and all DHS employees — get paid is for Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security," Jackson said.
RELATED STORY | TSA warns some small US airports could close amid shutdown
The partial government shutdown has stretched past six weeks as Democrats push for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement before agreeing to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The agency oversees ICE, TSA and several other federal operations.
Democrats have pushed to fund TSA separately while continuing negotiations over ICE, but Republicans have rejected that approach, offering counterproposals that Democrats have also rejected.
The standoff has led to long security lines at airports across the country. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that things are “going to get much worse” if Congress does not fund the agency.
DHS said the call-out rate on Wednesday was 11% as workers struggle to afford expenses such as child care and gas to get to and from work while they continue to go unpaid.
