More than 300 TSA employees have left the agency since the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown began, CBS News reports.

According to the outlet, “TSA officer call-out rates have climbed into double-digit percentages at some airports.”

The call outs have resulted in longer security lines.

“3+ hour TSA lines for travelers. 300+ TSA officers who have quit. A $0 paycheck for those continuing to serve. Enough is enough,” TSA stated.

“No more playing politics with the lives of Americans. The Democrat shutdown of DHS must end now,” it added.

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CBS News explained further:

Statistics obtained from Transportation Security Administration officials show the nationwide callout rate — unscheduled absences by frontline officers — has risen to an average of 6% during the shutdown, compared with about 2% before government funding lapsed.

Several days saw significantly higher national absence rates. The highest nationwide rate reached 9% on Feb. 23, followed by 8% on March 6 and 7% on March 9, according to the internal data.

The increase comes as roughly 50,000 transportation security officers are being required to work without pay during the DHS funding lapse that began Feb. 14.

At individual airports, sick outs have climbed even more sharply. At Houston’s Hobby Airport, 53% of officers called out on March 8, with 47% calling out the following day – resulting in nearly half of scheduled officers not reporting to work during the two-day stretch.

At John F. Kennedy International Airport, TSA officers averaged a 21% absence rate during the shutdown, the highest among major airports. Other heavily affected hubs included Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (19%), William P. Hobby Airport in Houston (18%), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (14%) and Pittsburgh International Airport (13%).

“Democrats are forcing TSA agents to work without pay for the third time in nearly six months. The financial hardship this Democrat-led chaos created has already forced more than 300 of these heroic officers to LEAVE the force. Democrats must fund DHS NOW,” DHS said.

“The crazed Democrats are not allowing TSA Agents to get paid. The deal was made a long time ago. They broke it in order to get money for Sanctuary Cities and illegal aliens, many of them hardened criminals. The Radical Left Democrats are hopeless!!!” President Trump said.

More from the New York Post:

Photos of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Sunday morning showed massive lines, with one traveler warning not to brave the wait “unless your life depends on it.”

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Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had similar scenes Sunday morning, though both airports had cleared up by the afternoon.

Last weekend had similar chaos — with some airports across the country advising travelers to arrive upwards of five hours before their flights .

DHS has spent the shutdown blaming Democrats for the delays.

“You may be experiencing longer-than-average wait times due to the ongoing Democrat shutdown of TSA and the Department of Homeland Security,” a new video played over airports’ security lines said, ABC News reported.

“The TSA Officers you are interacting with have shown up to work despite having missed paychecks. Please take the opportunity to thank the dedicated men and women of the TSA when you fly today.”

 

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