After approval from the U.S. Senate Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, Congress has also approved the DHS request to shift $34 million in funding within the Transportation Security Administration’s budget in order to increase the number of TSA screeners at U.S. airports and help mitigate long wait times at security checkpoints.
The short-term fix – affecting only summer funding for the agency – is separate from an ongoing discussion of TSA appropriations currently underway.
The Senate action last week came hours after DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson called on Congress to approve a “reprogramming”, or reallocation, of fiscal year 2016 funds to pay for transportation security officer overtime and fulfill critical short-term needs.
“These funds will allow TSA to expand the work hours of screening officers in peak periods at high-volume airports,” Johnson said in a statement.
Long lines at security checkpoints have been making headlines for the past few months as burgeoning traveler numbers have caused logjams at many airports. With the long lines, frustrated travelers have less dwell time, resulting in lower spending on airport concessions. Several airport directors have been vocal about the need for more staff and funding to ease the situations.
In a recent interview with ARN, Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans called the security checkpoint issues “severe” and “unacceptable.”
While funding is crucial, Johnson also said the agency is working internally to address the security checkpoint backups.
“TSA Administrator Admiral Neffenger and I are acutely aware of the significant increase in travelers and longer wait times at airports, and their projected growth over the summer,” he said.
Johnson outlined steps currently being taken to address the situation, including increased staffing of officers and increasing the number of canine teams, expanded outreach and enrollment efforts for the TSA PreCheck program, and collaboration with airports and airlines to support non-security screening operations, such as returning bins to the front of waiting lines and other non-security related tasks.
“TSA has formed optimization teams and closely partnered with airlines, airport authorities and industry to deliver innovative screening procedures,” Johnson said. “Administrator Neffenger and I are working with the aviation industry to develop airport-specific actions plans for the nation’s busiest airports.”
The $34 million enables TSA to accelerate the hiring and training of 768 Transportation Security Officers, as well as provide funding for additional overtime for current officers.
Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, said he expects TSA to maximize usage of the funding shift, which is an unusual move, especially during an appropriations process.
“Our number-one priority is keeping the traveling public safe, which can and should be done without travelers waiting in security lines for hours on end,” said Hoeven. “I expect TSA to work with the airports and airlines to ensure that all necessary steps are being taken to be effective and efficient in its duty to keep the public safe.”
