WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The airport delays tied# to the partial government shutdown aren't## going away and may be getting worse.

Several# major airports are seeing long security lines,## flight delays, and growing frustration among# travelers as TSA workers are not getting paid.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and# Houston's George Bush Intercontinental appear## to be some of the worst hit with# delays of up to two hours or more.## Philadelphia's airport was# also very backed up this week.

TSA workers missed their first full# paycheck on the shutdown a week ago.## And some say they are calling# out sick, taking other jobs,## or simply quitting altogether# because of financial hardships.

CARLOS RODRIGUEZ, TSA Officer: People have to make# the hard choices between gas, babysitting money,## being able to come to work.# It's really difficult right now.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: For more on# these workers and their delays,## we are joined by The Wall Street Journal's Allison# Pohle.

She covers the travel and tourism industry.

Allison, thanks so much for being here.

I mentioned Atlanta and Houston are# particularly bad right now.

Where## else are things bad?

And how does# this compare to, say, a week ago?

ALLISON POHLE, The Wall Street Journal: Things# have started to get worse across the country.

So we have seen longer delays in Phoenix today,# as well as at JFK.

So, compared to a week ago,## these delays are much longer.

We have also seen# an increase in the number of people increase in## people traveling for spring break.

So there# are more travelers.

It's also a longer period## of time that TSA workers have not been# paid and where they're coming up on yet## another month where rent will be due,# utility bills will be due, et cetera.

So we're seeing lines grow across the country.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Given that# all TSA workers are suffering,## why is it that we're seeing problems# only particularly in some airports## and not others?

Like, I understand# Chicago O'Hare was pretty clear.

ALLISON POHLE: That has been the# case so far.

In certain situations,## workers are under different arrangements.

So, in Atlanta, for example, workers have## told me that they have to pay for gas, of# course, to get to work, but they have also## historically had to pay for their parking.

When# you're not getting paid, those expenses add up.## So what the airport has done is stepped in to# cover parking for TSA workers during this time.

But even though the situation is the same across# most airports, it also does vary.

There are some## TSA workers who are not federal employees.

So# some airports, like Kansas City, for example,## in San Francisco use private contracting services,# where private workers are able to perform## the duties of TSA officers, but they're not# affected by the shutdown.

They are getting paid.

So there are airports that# are in different situations.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I see.

We saw the funding bill in Congress again failed## today.

Is there any sense of# where this goes from here?

ALLISON POHLE: It's still an extremely# tough battle going forward.

So Democrats## have introduced legislation that would# fund the Homeland Security Department,## except for ICE and except for Customs and# Border Protection, or it would fund just TSA.

But Republicans have voted those down.# They have introduced bills to fund the## entire Homeland Security Department,# and Democrats have not voted for those.## So it's a tough road going forward.

On both# sides, it seems like no one has moved so far.

And so what I'm hearing from TSA# workers is that March 27, next Friday,## is the day that Congress is scheduled to go on# its two-week recess.

That is a make-or-break## day for them.

If Congress ends up leaving# for the recess without reaching a deal,## TSA workers say they're not sure they're going# to be able to make it into work after that.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Yes, I can only imagine,# if Congress is going off on a break of their## own when TSA workers are not being# paid, that would be tough to swallow.

You recently spoke with the general# manager of Atlanta's airport about## all of this.

How did he explain how# they're trying to get out of this morass?

ALLISON POHLE: What they're trying to do# is just support workers in ways that they## can.

So I mentioned the parking# earlier.

They're also giving the## workers one meal voucher per shift.

And# so that's their way of enticing people## to come to work and show them their# appreciation for what they're doing.

In terms of getting out of it, I think,# unfortunately, it's just going to get## a lot tougher.

So the week of March 29 is# actually the week that most schools go on## spring break.

About 40 percent of schools across# the country are in spring break during that time.

So, at Atlanta, for example, the general# manager didn't have the didn't have a full## solution.

They're just taking it day by day.# He did say that, at least in Atlanta, people,## though they're waiting in extremely# long lines, have been orderly,## they understand what's going on and# they're appreciative to the workers.

But, of course, it is really tough when you get## there three hours early and# you still miss your flight.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That is Allison# Pohle of The Wall Street Journal.

Thank you so much for being here.

ALLISON POHLE: Thanks for having me.