Many U.S. airports reported significantly reduced security checkpoint wait times on March 30, with much of the worst pressure relieved after Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) officers received their first paychecks in weeks.

After seeing security lines that stretched for four hours during peak travel throughout the ongoing government shutdown, wait times at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport were down to 10 minutes or less on Monday.

Checkpoints were also moving smoothly at other high-volume airports such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Baltimore-Washington International.

More than a month of partial government shutdown had left a wave of uncertainty among both travelers and TSA workers alike. Hundreds of TSA agents had quit while thousands more called out at least once since the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began in mid-February, and many travelers were told to arrive anywhere between three and five hours earlier than usual to their airports to avoid missing a flight.

TSA workers began receiving backpay on Monday for working during the government shutdown, which surpassed 45 days this week and has now broken the record set by last year’s funding lapse.

The relief came after President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security on Friday to immediately pay TSA officers following a weekslong standoff over the funding of DHS.

Democrats refused to fund the department without changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Demands included requiring ICE agents to identify themselves, wear cameras, and stop wearing masks while conducting immigration enforcement operations. They were also pushing for ICE to require warrants from judges before conducting raids, and to avoid conducting operations at so-called sensitive locations such as medical facilities, schools, child care facilities, churches, polling places, and courts.

The White House and congressional Republicans appeared to be open to negotiating on some points suggested by Democrats, but a full deal to reopen Homeland Security and pay the workers in its subagencies affected by the shutdown has not materialized.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents a large number of TSA officers, called on all lawmakers to return to Washington to strike a deal to finally end the shutdown.

“AFGE TSA members are grateful to receive some backpay today. But many of our members have seen bills pile up, interest and late fees add up, cars repossessed, and families thrown into disarray because Congress has failed to do their jobs,” the union said on Monday.

“Over 500 of our colleagues had to quit, and those who couldn’t make it to work have disciplinary actions looming over their heads. Backpay alone does not fix those problems. And our fellow DHS employees are still not being paid thanks to the dysfunction in Congress.”

The union said it was an “understatement” to say its members are “utterly disgusted and disappointed with our elected officials.”

“Congress must come back to Washington, fix this crisis, and stop putting politics over people and vacation over values.”

The union noted that some of its TSA members received incorrect pay amounts from missing overtime disbursements and incorrect tax withholdings. Others have only received backpay from some, but not all, pay periods during the more-than-six-week shutdown.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.