Republican Senators Lee and Tuberville introduced the "Abolish the TSA Act," aiming to replace the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with a privatized airport security system overseen by a new Office of Aviation Security Oversight.
The senators argue that the TSA is "bloated and ineffective," citing a 2015 assessment showing high failure rates in detecting explosives and weapons. They also point to "intrusive" patdowns as a reason for eliminating the agency, advocating for a more efficient and less intrusive security system.
Senator Gallego, a Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, strongly opposes the bill, arguing that privatizing airport security was a contributing factor to the 9/11 attacks. He believes returning to a privatized system would be a dangerous mistake.
The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate, requiring bipartisan support, which currently seems unlikely.
Two Republican senators say they want to privatize airport security and eliminate the “bloated and ineffective” Transportation Safety Administration that has been annoying travelers for nearly a quarter-century.
Senators Lee and Tuberville have introduced the Abolish the TSA Act to replace it with a new Office of Aviation Security Oversight. It would allow airports to hire private companies to provide screenings.
The senators cited a 2015 assessment that found TSA agents missed 95 percent of mock explosives and banned weapons during checkpoint screenings.
“The TSA has not only intruded into the privacy and personal space of most Americans, it has also repeatedly failed tests to find weapons and explosives,” Mr. Lee says. “Our bill privatizes security functions at American airports under the eye of an Office of Aviation Security Oversight, bringing this bureaucratic behemoth to a welcome end.”
Mr. Lee also cited what he called “intrusive” patdowns at airport security checkpoints as another reason for eliminating the agency. “American families can travel safely without feeling the hands of an army of federal employees,” Mr. Lee says.
The TSA was created in 2001 to bolster airport security in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. It now has about 60,000 employees and an annual budget of nearly $12 billion. Mr. Tuberville claims the agency is riddled with waste and fraud, and directly to blame for many of the unnecessary delays and frustration for travelers.
“We need to focus on more efficient and effective methods to protect our country without sacrificing the liberties and freedoms of American citizens,” Mr. Tuberville says. “The TSA should be eliminated and replaced with privatized solutions that are more targeted, streamlined, and where appropriate, accountable to limited government oversight.”
The new security office would be housed under the Federal Aviation Administration. It would oversee the privatization of aviation security screening and the transfer of security activities and equipment to private companies.
Some Democrats would have to support the measure for it to pass the Senate, which seems unlikely.
“That’s stupid,” Senator Gallego, who serves on the Homeland Security Committee, told NOTUS. “The reason we ended up having 9/11 is because we had privatized security screenings. Why are we going to go back to what caused 9/11 in the first place?”
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