- TSA agents are working without pay amid the partial government shutdown.
- Elon Musk on Saturday said on social media that he'd like to cover the workers' salaries.
- The White House said that it poses "legal challenges" due to Musk's involvement with federal contracts.
The White House turned down Elon Musk's offer to cover TSA agents' salaries as they continue to work without pay amid the partial government shutdown.
"We greatly appreciate Elon's generous offer," Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Business Insider. "This would pose great legal challenges due to his involvement with federal government contracts. The fastest way to ensure TSA employees — and all DHS employees — get paid is for Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security."
CBS News first reported the White House's rejection. Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The billionaire CEO on Saturday wrote in a social media post that he'd like to cover the salaries of TSA workers "during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country."
Even if figures like Musk wanted to pay TSA agents, they're likely to run into legal and ethical barriers. By law, federal workers' salaries are set by law and funded through congressional appropriations.
As of Wednesday, TSA workers missed at least one paycheck as lawmakers remain at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The funding lapse has led to staffing shortages and hourslong lines at airports across the country.
As a countermeasure, the Trump administration deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to address airport disruptions.
