John Katko: “We have all seen, heard about, or even experienced for ourselves the recent crisis of wait times at TSA checkpoints at…”

“We have all seen, heard about, or even experienced for ourselves the recent crisis of wait times at TSA checkpoints at airports across this great Nation. With record passenger volumes, inefficient staffing models, and collaboration challenges with airports and airlines, the TSA has found itself stretched way too thin. The fact of the matter is that security effectiveness and efficiency are not mutually exclusive. Now that the summer holiday season is upon us, it is imperative that we move to alleviate the nightmarish scenarios that have been playing out at airports across the United States in recent months. Passengers should not be missing flights due to long security lines when they are arriving to the airport 2 hours prior to their flights. Similarly, airports should not be approaching an operational ground stop related to TSA checkpoint lines. Also, they should not be having to sleep overnight on cots, in airports, because of TSA snafus. The House has already passed important legislation to expand TSA PreCheck, which is still awaiting passage in the Senate. Getting more passengers enrolled in PreCheck is essential to security and efficiency by identifying low-risk travelers and expediting them through screening. Today, we have the opportunity to act again and swiftly. When I came to Congress, I made a commitment to my constituents to tackle problems head-on and get things done.…”