WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said he would sign an order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents, while senators worked into early Friday to approve a funding package in hopes of ending a budget impasse that has jammed airports, disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on workers. The deal, which the Senate approved unanimously early in the morning without a roll call, would fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, except the immigration enforcement operations that have been central to the standoff.

President Trump says he will sign an executive order ensuring TSA agents will be paid amid the chaos that has ensued during a partial shutdown.

It’s unclear what legal authority Trump has to circumvent Congress, which controls spending.