WHITE HOUSE WEIGHS OPTIONS TO EASE AIRPORT CHAOS AMID FUNDING DISPUTE

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Bernama-dpa) -- The White House is scrambling for ways to pay airport security staff as passengers face hours-long waits at some United States (US) airports amid a prolonged funding dispute, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said the administration was having "discussions about several ideas" to mitigate the impact of the budget standoff affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has dragged on for more than a month, but added that no concrete plans had been agreed upon.

The dispute centres on funding for the DHS, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), responsible for airport security.

With no funding deal in place, TSA officers have gone unpaid for weeks, prompting many to call in sick and worsening staff shortages.

US President Donald Trump announced on the social media platform Truth Social that he had directed new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to "immediately pay our TSA agents to address this emergency, and to quickly stop the Democrat chaos at the airports."

It remained unclear which funds would be used, as Congress has yet to agree on the department's budget. Under the US constitution, the power of the purse rests solely with the legislature.

Several Republican senators have previously urged Trump to declare a national emergency to free up funds to pay security personnel, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The shortages have led to long queues at major airports.

Passengers at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport waited between three and four hours for security screening on Thursday afternoon, while Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport advised travellers to allow "at least four hours or more" to clear security.

Since Monday, officers from the controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency have been deployed at some airports on Trump's orders. 

-- BERNAMA-dpa