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Senate Unanimously Moves to Fund Most of DHS, Pay TSA Workers; Airports Brace for Weekend Travel Rush, Another Day of Long TSA Lines; Sources Say, Many of Trump's Options in Iran Risk Heavy Casualties. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired March 27, 2026 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[07:00:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, finally, a real breakthrough. The Senate votes to fund TSA and most of DHS. Now, the race is on for the house to pass it and the president to sign it. But how long will it actually take to get workers paid and fix those long lines at some airports across America?

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Also breaking overnight, the president delays his own deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the new reporting this morning that he's weighing several options on what to do if diplomacy fails. It turns out none of those options are good.

Also, where there's smoke, not always fire. How the worst enemy of allergy sufferers sparked a false alarm.

John and Kate are off today. I'm Erica Hill with Sara Sidner. This is CNN News Central.

SIDNER: This morning, a major breakthrough that could ease the massive lines at airports, some of which are waiting four hours still for people to get through and finally give TSA workers their first paycheck since February. In a rare overnight session, the Senate unanimously moved to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security except for ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection after a more than 40-day standoff. The bill now moves to the House where the clock begins to tick. Congress set to go on a two-week recess today.

The deal gives Senate Democrats some of what they were pushing for, but does not include the reforms they demanded, like barring ICE agents from wearing masks and requiring judicial warrants to enter homes. Senate Republicans are now expected to try to pass the ICE funding later through reconciliation, which, by the way, would allow them to approve it with just a simple majority.

The move by the Senate came hours after President Trump said he would sign in order to immediately pay TSA workers, but that likely would not cut down those wait times right away.

Our team is covering this from the airports to the White House this morning. Let's start with Alayna Treene. She is at the White House for us this morning. Is there any reaction from the White House about the Senate's move finally passing potential funding here as long as the House can get it through?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We're still waiting to hear exact White House reaction. We're also waiting to hear exactly, as you pointed out, Sara, how quickly actually, one, this can be passed by the House. We are expecting from our conversations with sources for it to happen at least by the end of the weekend.

But the real question, when will we actually see that change to these long airport lines? When will TSA workers finally get funded? And also will the president who announced just moments before they had actually -- the Senate Republicans had reached kind of a deal here with Senate Democrats. They had called the president just after he had announced that he was planning to sign an executive action to really call a state of emergency to try and move money around to get these TSA agents paid.

The question, of course, is, is that going to be, you know, changing now that we have this bill? Those are still questions we have to work out given that this vote and this passage of this bill actually happened so late or really early this morning, around 3:00 A.M.

Now, I think one of the clear things we need to point out here is just kind of how there really are no winners. And, really, I think what we saw with this 41-day shutdown was just how difficult it is for Republicans and Democrats to come together in this era of the president's second term. And, really, we didn't really see any strong bipartisan talks here, which led to this really longstanding shutdown.

Now, I think when I say no winners, both sides didn't exactly get what they wanted. Republicans wanted -- they had been saying for weeks that they were not even going to consider not having ICE funding and CBP funding be a part of this deal. Well, in the end, it's not included in this funding for the rest of DHS. Immigration and Custom Enforcements and Custom and Border Protection are not part of this, but Democrats also who said that they wanted to have this fight. They wanted to use this shutdown to try and enforce talks about ICE reforms and CBP reforms. They didn't get that either. Yes, they didn't get the funding for it, but that was only a one part of what was supposed to be a two- step process.

[07:05:03]

And so we're going to have to see really what happens moving forward. As you said, Sara, Republicans are going to try to do all of the things they didn't get to do in this bill in a party line vote reconciliation bill down the line.

SIDNER: All right. Alayna Treene with all of that from the White House, this is what compromise looks like, which is not a dirty word anymore.

HILL: It turns out it is not a dirty word at all. If only we could use it a little bit more. SIDNER: Agreed.

HILL: We'll see.

Well, despite the President's push, it's still not clear when those TSA paychecks will actually clear. And it's also not clear right now just how soon TSA staffers who have had to call out because they can't be at the job whether they're going to return at all.

The most recent DHS numbers show some 500 officers have quit since this shutdown began last month. On Wednesday, more than 3,100 TSA officers did not show up to work. Many of them, of course, are wrestling with paying for the gas to get there, their rent, food, childcare. At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, wait times there reaching four hours before 5:00 A.M. local time this morning.

CNN's Ryan Young is at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where the lines are once again wrapping around Ryan, as we have seen outside the building. What's the word this morning?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We will show you in a second, but we've been here so long that now we don't even have to ask for interviews. People just walk by and toss their opinions my way. In fact, the last two people walked by were like, it's a zoo. It's a zoo. Yes, it's a zoo. The joy and the pain of it all, some people know that that passed through last night and they believe that they would come here to the airport and the lines would be short. Not so fast. The lines are still long. If you look back this direction, you can see how far it stretches.

But, of course, Erica, you gave a preview to everyone. Yes, they stretch outside. So, why don't we go take a walk outside and show you the lines, because this is the line for the pre-check. And as we walk outside here, this is what people have to greet themselves to on a Friday. The line goes all the way down that direction and this line continues to grow. I've been talking to people all morning long. One person actually checked in with me. They got here at 4:50 this morning. They just went through the line on the inside.

So, you understand the pain point here, it's a Friday. People think they're going to go on their vacation, they're going to think they're going to go on their summer travel. But, no, the case here is the long lines. And they continue, especially in the early morning hours.

Now, yesterday we did see ICE agents starting to take those I.D.s from people in the line, actually taking TSA positions. So, that was a big difference here at the airport. Actually, I got to talk to an ICE agent who said, look, we are here to help the people. We don't want to be demonized. So, you understand they're kind of caught in the middle of this mix as well.

But, today, hopefully there'll be some sort of relief. We knew Sunday, big numbers are expected again at this airport, the busiest travel day. You know there's a pain point. And just as we go out here, I saw your smile. Have you ever imagined that you'd be standing in a line this long?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

YOUNG: What is this like right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's about this day that it's about an hour 20 from here. And this is TSA pre line. And my flight's at 12:45. So, I got here like at 6:45.

YOUNG: You got here real early, fantastic. Well, good luck to you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much.

YOUNG: So, perfect. Look, a lot of people have been voicing their opinion about Congress. They're upset, they don't care, red or blue, Democratic, Republican, they are tired of it. So, they're glad to see some sort of movement.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. And they're even happier when the line moves.

Ryan, I appreciate it, my friend. Good to have you there.

YOUNG: Right.

SIDNER: I'm jumping in this conversation because I can't help it. I think Ryan has become the mayor of the airport there in Atlanta.

HILL: I think you're right.

SIDNER: Right? I mean, Ryan, fix it.

YOUNG: I love this place. Well, exactly. I mean, talking about an interview that went viral and people have been asking for that to be done, fix it.

So, coming this airport for 20 years, never seen the backup nonstop like this over the last few.

HILL: You know, why else they want Ryan Young to fix it because they feel like their lawmakers are not listening. But you know who is listening? Ryan Young.

SIDNER: Ryan Young.

HILL: You're there. You hear them? You share their frustrations.

SIDNER: We vote for you, Ryan.

HILL: Yes, 100 percent voting for Ryan Young. Sara and I will have more information on his campaign coming up.

Also ahead here, on a much more serious note, President Trump being presented with multiple options that could dramatically escalate the war with Iran. All of these coming with the risk of heavy U.S. casualties. That new CNN reporting is just ahead.

Plus, we're also hearing more from Savannah Guthrie this morning, including details on when she may return to the Today Show.

And a day in court goes off the rails, or maybe I should say off the roads, as the judge catches a woman driving during her virtual hearing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You cannot be driving, Ma'am. What are you doing? Come on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not driving. I'm a passenger in a car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I crazy or does it not look like you're driving that car?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not driving the car. I'm a passenger in the car, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[07:10:00]

SIDNER: Breaking news this morning, as the war with Iran approaches one month, President Trump considering a number of options for escalating it and none of them are ideal. Sources telling CNN Pentagon officials preparing for the war's next phase have drawn up several scenarios for deploying troops, and all of those options could result in heavy U.S. casualties.

These discussions inside the Trump administration come as thousands more U.S. forces are now heading to the region. Sources telling CNN more than a thousand U.S. soldiers with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division are expected to deploy in the coming days. And two Marine Expeditionary Units and amphibious-ready groups have already deployed.

Central to a lot of this planning, the Strait of Hormuz, of course, a key point of economic leverage for Iran. Trump yesterday said he would extend his deadline for Iran to open the strait. It was five days delaying attacks on Iran's power plants by an additional ten days.

[07:15:01]

Now, the president's claiming progress on negotiations with Tehran. He previously said the U.S. would start bombing the power plants today. Trump made the announcement minutes after the stock market ended one of the worst days of the year.

CNN's Matthew Chance live in Doha this morning. Matthew, what can you tell us about what for many it seems to be a confusion as to what it is the Trump administration is planning here?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, for many people, unfortunately including me, I mean, I think we don't really know what the objectives are with this Trump administration's war in Iran because they haven't set them out clearly.

I mean, but, look, I mean, we're looking at a situation now where Iran has a tight stranglehold around the Strait of Hormuz, which is an essential choke point in the Persian Gulf. 20 percent of the world's oil and gas goes to the Strait of Hormuz. And that's having ripple effects, not just in the region. Here in Qatar, which has described the economic consequences so far as catastrophic, they're losing billions of dollars a day. But, of course, around the world as well, with the global economy suffering with all prices spiking and stock markets falling as well.

There are very few good options, if any, ahead for the U.S. administration. One of them is escalation, military escalation. You've just mentioned how many thousands of U.S. troops are being deployed to the area. A possibility is the seizure of a strategic island, which is run by Iran called Kharg Island, and 90 percent of Iran's oil exports go through that location.

If you invade that or take it out, you know, you cut off an essential flow of cash to the Islamic regime, and so that might have an impact. There are also other locations which has been speculated about, could be, you know, targeted in a land operation by U.S. forces.

But none of them are unnecessarily options that bring to an end the current crisis. If you take Kharg Island for example, you're in range of Iranian missiles and drones. They already have those coordinates programmed into their missile systems. And so you expose American troops to all sorts of harm. Also, the consequences of retaliation, the prospect of retaliation from the Iranians, they've already fired thousands of missiles and drones at the various Gulf states in this area, mainly the United Arab Emirates, but also Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, places like that. And, you know, when those oil and gas infrastructure sites are struck and damaged, that's what really causes lasting damage to the global economy.

And so we're in a very, very tense situation about whether the United States is going to escalate from here or not.

SIDNER: Yes, and then you have to see if places like Qatar or UAE and other places join in or how they're involved in some way.

Matthew Chance, it is complicated. As you know, war always easy to get into, always difficult to get out of. I do appreciate your reporting there from Doha for us.

Still ahead, a change to your money, President Trump's signature will soon appear on every new dollar bill, a first for a sitting president. It's a move they say to honor the country's 250th anniversary.

Plus, Amazon spending $200 billion on artificial intelligence this year. Its Cloud chief says the company that built the internet is now betting it can do the same for A.I. What that means for pretty much everything you do online.

And he's 109 years old, a veteran of two wars, and now, guess what he got to do? Play ball. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

HILL: It is still March. There is still madness. A last second thriller, another one, this time helping Purdue put away Texas. The heart-stopping play means the Boilermakers advance to the Elite 8 and the Longhorns go home.

Joining me now CNN's Andy Scholes. My mother-in-law very excited, I would think, this morning. Boiler up.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. I'm sure all your Purdue fans over the moon right now. But, Erica, I got to tell you, I got a bad case of March Sadness this morning. I stayed up super late to watch my Houston Cougars just struggle to not even make a shot. More on that in a second.

But Texas-Purdue playing the game of the night game tied at 77, 11 seconds left, Braden Smith going to drive to the basket, puts it up. It doesn't go, but Trey Kaufman-Renn there to tip it in, which is 0.7 on the clock. Purdue celebrates, they win a thriller, 79-77, to advance to the Elite 8.

One seed Arizona meanwhile also moving on last night, their offense is firing on all cylinders. They shot 64 percent in the first half. Arkansas certainly getting frustrated in this one in the second half. Coach Calipari and Nick Pringle got technical fouls and Billy Richmond was ejected for a flagrant two foul for shoving Ivan Kharchenkov. But all the physical play did slow down the Wildcats. They put up 109 points into 21-point win.

Meanwhile, in the Nebraska-Iowa game, here's something you rarely see. With under a minute to go, Iowa has the ball up by three. Nebraska gives up the layup and they foul. Why was he so open? Because the Huskers only had four players out on the court. Coach Fred Hoiberg said it was a miscommunication, and that's on him. Iowa win that game, 77-71.

Houston Cougars meanwhile picked a bad time to have their worst offensive game of the season. Illinois holding the Cougars to just 34 percent shooting. They would beat the Cougs in Houston 65-55 to advance to the Elite 8 to face Iowa.

And it was a super sad day in downtown Houston. The Astros held opening day earlier in the afternoon against the Angels. Yordan Alvarez here, he hits this ball to the moon. It was going to easily be a home run, but he hit it so high, it hit the roof at Daikin Park, and then, unfortunately, it bounced into foul territory, making it a foul ball. The Astros, they failed to even score run in that game, losing to Angels 3-0.

All right, meanwhile in Baltimore, I want you check out 109 year old Orioles fan, Arthur Green, taking the field to throw out the first pitch. Green, a World War II and Korean War veteran, longtime Baltimore resident, and get this, he also threw out the first pitch in his younger days, three years ago when he was 106, Erica.

But whatever Arthur's doing, I mean, he's got the secret, right? 109 years old and he's still able to get out there and throw a baseball. It's amazing, incredible.

HILL: Okay. That's officially my favorite story of the day, Andy. Thank you. Sorry about your Cougars.

SCHOLES: All right.

HILL: Get them next year.

Breaking overnight, the Senate voting unanimously to fund most of DHS including TSA workers. The House, though, of course, still needs to act and they have to do it before Congress leaves for two weeks, starting today. So, the big answer for so many is when could those TSA workers get paid? Could that mean the lines go back to normal at the airport? We're going to try to get you some answers this morning.

Plus, meet Jerome, the rotting tofu monster that held a Missouri Highway hostage for three weeks. That stinky saga ahead.

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