The White House on Wednesday rejected billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's proposal to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers during the partial government shutdown. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said: "We are very grateful for Elon's generous offer. But because of his involvement in federal contracts, it will bring significant legal challenges. The fastest way to ensure that TSA employees, and all DHS employees, are paid, is for Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security."
As of Wednesday local time, TSA employees had missed at least one paycheck as Congress remained deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Funding shortages have left airports across the country understaffed and causing queues that can stretch into hours.
In response, the Trump administration deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to deal with the chaos at airports.
Musk posted on social media on Saturday that he wanted to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees while "this funding standoff is negatively impacting the lives of so many Americans at airports across the country."
U.S. President Trump said on Monday that he would be "very happy" if Musk paid these employees.
"I think that's great, let him do it," Trump told reporters.
Musk’s proposal has also been warmly welcomed by members of the U.S. Congress.
Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins responded to Musk's post, thanking him and calling him a "great American."
Replying to the post, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said the proposal was "very generous."
"TSA workers across the country are relying on food pantries and community donations to make ends meet," he wrote. "I remain the only Democrat to join my Republican colleagues in voting to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security to ensure workers are paid. This should not be happening."
More than 480 airport security workers have resigned since the government shutdown began, and the agency is expected to have lost $1 billion in unpaid wages by the end of the week, officials with the Department of Homeland Security told House lawmakers on Wednesday.
If Musk's proposal is accepted, it wouldn't be the first time billionaires have donated to the government to pay employees during Trump's second term. Mellon Bank heir Timothy Mellon donated $130 million to pay military salaries during the 43-day government shutdown from October to November last year.