A powerful storm system and a month-long partial government shutdown have combined to paralyze air travel across the country, canceling more than 900 flights and delaying over 2,600 more. The shutdown, now in its second month, has left Transportation Security Administration workers without paychecks since February 14 after Congress remained deadlocked over immigration. More than 300 TSA agents have quit since it began, and call-out rates have more than doubled, according to data obtained exclusively by CBS News. Many officers are “coping with eviction notices, vehicle repossessions, empty refrigerators and overdrawn bank accounts,” said Aaron Barker, a local leader with the American Federation of Government Employees. The crisis landed on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, with spring break families and March Madness fans flooding terminals nationwide. Travelers were advised to arrive three hours early at some airports, with security lines spilling onto sidewalks before dawn. “I think it’s being politicized way too much,” said one stranded Atlanta traveler. “These people are working hard, and for TSA people not to get paid, that’s silly.”
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