Gird yourselves, travelers: although the Transportation Security Administration recently patted itself on the back for keeping security screening lines moving at airports this summer, the soul-crushingly long lines some folks experienced in the spring could be the reality again this fall.

TSA Chief Peter Neffenger, speaking at the Airlines for America Industry Summit in Washington, D.C. recently, noted that many of the extra screening staff the agency hired to help alleviate congestion might have to go if Congress can’t agree on a budget, Skift.com reports.

It’s all part of a larger government shutdown that could kick off on Oct. 1 when the 2017 fiscal year starts.

When long lines started making headlines last spring, TSA was able to snag the funding to hire more security officers in order to handle the busy summer travel season. The agency simply might not be able to afford the extra staffing at airport checkpoints, however, as Neffenger made comments while on a panel at the summit that unless congress approves TSA’s budget, which includes funding for those workers, the new staff will “all go home on October 1st.”

Congressional leaders have met with the Obama administration to work on a deal to resolve the budget problem, but nothing concrete has come out of those talks yet. Neffenger noted however that TSA has been getting “good signals” and “strong support” from the administration.

TSA Lines May Return In October Without Better Government Funding [Skift.com]

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