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White House urges Congress to fund DHS as TSA workers report hardship; Treasury provides tax-refund update
Summary
At the briefing the administration urged Congress to fully fund DHS to restore pay for TSA, FEMA and Coast Guard workers, and the Treasury reported that about 63.5 million tax returns had been processed so far with an average refund "more than $3,700."
The press secretary urged Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security, saying the president wants TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard "to receive their paychecks" and calling out reports of TSA employees struggling to make payments. She said there are "more than 100,000" workers affected by the partial funding lapse and encouraged citizens to contact lawmakers to press for full funding.
Separately, the press secretary read a Treasury Department update on tax-season processing: nearly 63.5 million returns had been processed to date, representing about 45% of anticipated filings by April 15; the administration said the average federal refund so far is "more than $3,700." The briefing included administration claims about how many returns have claimed recent tax-law provisions (no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, enhanced deduction for seniors) and said the president would visit taxpayers in Ohio and Kentucky the following day.
Reporters asked follow-ups about the DHS funding lapse's potential effect on homeland-security monitoring and whether federal intelligence and law-enforcement coordination were compromised; the press secretary said federal agencies remain coordinated and deferred operational details to DHS and the FBI.
