Native Land Pod Why Airports are a MESS Right Now | Angela Rye SoloPod
Mar 24, 2026
Everett Kelly, national leader of AFGE representing federal workers, speaks about the scale of unpaid TSA staff. Aaron Barker, TSA lead officer and AFGE Local 554 president, shares frontline realities of missed paychecks. They discuss stalled DHS funding, how the public can help, and the harms of deploying ICE to airports. Short, urgent, and action-focused conversation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Senate Blocks Caused TSA Pay Crisis
- Senate Republicans repeatedly blocked standalone bills to pay TSA officers, creating the current unpaid-payroll crisis.
- Angela Rye lists 11 separate Senate blocks between March 5 and March 21 that prevented funding for TSA while broader DHS talks continued.
Donate Through AFGE Or Central Labor Councils
- Donate to AFGE locals or your city's Central Labor Council to help TSOs because federal employees cannot accept money directly.
- Aaron Barker instructs listeners to Google their city's Central Labor Council or ask airport TSOs for local AFGE contact info.
Call Congress To Demand TSA Pay
- Apply public pressure on members of Congress by calling representatives at 202-224-3121 to demand immediate pay for TSA workers.
- Aaron Barker and Everett Kelly urge callers of any party to push their lawmakers to pass pay legislation now.