OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers remain on the job at Oakland airport, like at airports across the nation, but they are not getting paid. They missed their first full paycheck this past Friday.  How to monitor airport security lines at US airports whi le TSA officers go without pay A dispute in Congress over whether to put restrictions on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has meant that the entire Department of Homeland Security is not being funded, and that means TSA workers are among those not getting paid. “You can't pay the mortgage, can't pay rent, You can't pay for food. You can't pay for your pets medicine. You can't put gas in your car. It's dire straits, “ said Joseph Cerletti, the TSA assistant chief at Oakland Airport. With no money coming in, some TSA workers have quit and others are calling in sick, so they can take on part time job to help pay the bills.  At many airports, the result is longer lines through airport security — forcing passengers to arrive hours before their flight. Photo: KRON4 News. “Usually you're in and out here,” said Rebecca Lares who was flying from Oakland to Southern California. “I was just in Chicago last week. I flew out of the O’Hare airport, and it was, I've never seen lines like it. I mean, it just wrapped around, wrapped around.”  Lines at Oakland airport were not substantially longer Wednesday afternoon, but for those who want to avoid long lines, travel experts say getting TSA pre-check will often lead to shorter lines, as will TSA Precheck Touchless. “To opt in to TSA Touchless, you're going to need to do that with airline specific sites, so with Delta, with American, with United, etc,” said Summer Hull, the Editorial Director at ThePointsGuy.com. “And you're going to need to have, not only pre-check, but you're going to need to have a passport on file with that airline and then opt into touchless,” she said. TSA workers say safety concerns should make lawmakers come to an agreement quickly. In the meantime, they are thankful to those who have reached out to help. Cerletti says Oakland Airport’s Subway restaurant, the Port of Oakland, the union of Air Traffic Controllers and the Alameda Food Bank have all stepped in to keep TSA officers at Oakland Airport fed. ...read more read less