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.