DHS Funding Set to Expire as Security, Travel and World Cup Preparations Hang in the Balance

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued the following statement on the impending lapse in DHS funding and its impacts on national security, travel and World Cup readiness:
 

“Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire in days, and the House is preparing to leave town without fixing a crisis of its own making. If the House walks away tomorrow, frontline DHS personnel will once again miss paychecks—undermining the very systems that protect Americans and keep our travel economy moving.

“Let’s be clear about what’s actually at stake. This isn’t just about longer TSA lines—though travelers should expect them. This is about public safety, national security and World Cup readiness. More than 1,100 TSA officers have already walked out the door. Critical technology deployments tied to World Cup preparation are now in doubt. Unpaid personnel at Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service, cybersecurity and FEMA are being stretched dangerously thin.

“We are 44 days from the largest sporting event in American history and Washington is failing the American people.

“Enough. The stakes for our economy, our safety, and our standing in the world are too high for this to continue. Congress must fund DHS now—before they leave town.”