The White House rejected a proposal from billionaire Elon Musk to cover the salaries of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees during a partial government shutdown, CBS News reported on Wednesday.
Trump administration officials reportedly considered the suggestion but decided against it, citing expectations that the government shutdown would end soon.
Legal concerns regarding the billionaire's various government contracts also played a role in the rejection, as direct or indirect funding of federal payrolls could face challenges.
"I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel," Musk said earlier, noting that the funding crisis is "negatively impacting the lives of so many Americans" at airports.
TSA personnel are currently working without full pay as a funding stalemate in Congress continues to disrupt airport operations across the country. Congress has yet to pass a new bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), capping TSA salaries.
The funding shortfall, which began on February 14, has disrupted the work of many agencies under DHS. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began deploying to U.S. airports to handle the problems.
