Standing side-by-side in the newly renovated Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Republican Congressman John Katko and Democrat Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced their bipartisan legislation to pay TSA agents during the Government Shutdown.
The Transportation Security Administration has 100 agents based in Syracuse and 57,000 around the country, all of whom are not currently being paid.
Most have still showed up to work, screening passengers before they board planes.
After their bipartisan announcement, Katko and Brindisi both boarded their flight to Washington, DC where they’ll urge their colleagues to support the bill.
Congressman Katko said, “I know that many of these hardworking men and women work paycheck to paycheck, which is why I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation with Rep. Brindisi and a bipartisan group of lawmakers today to allow TSA to provide pay to these officers during the shutdown.”
Congressman Brindisi said, “The shutdown is causing unwarranted stress to the hardworking men and women who already work incredibly stressful jobs. They should be able to do their jobs without worrying that they might miss a car payment or fall behind on their mortgage.”
Katko, the three-term Republican from Syracuse, and Brindisi, the first-term Democrat from Utica, have built a bipartisan relationship since Brindisi was elected to the House of Representatives in November.
