DHS shutdown TSA delays are now hitting airports across the country as lawmakers move to strip their own travel perks.
On Thursday, the chamber passed a bill that would permanently end the preferential treatment that allows members of Congress to skip standard airport security lines.
The legislation, introduced by Senator John Cornyn, would mandate that all members of the House and Senate undergo the exact same Transportation Security Administration screening procedures as the general public. The bill also prohibits the use of federal funds to provide lawmakers with expedited access or “courtesy escorts” through terminals, a perk that has long separated elected officials from the average traveler.
“Maybe, just maybe, if Congress has to live under the same laws that everybody else does, it will motivate us to get our work done in order,” Cornyn said. “In other words, to fund the Department of Homeland Security so no American, so no traveler will have to suffer the disruption and the tribulations that many, many travelers are having to experience now.”
The move comes as the TSA faces a severe staffing crisis. Since the funding lapse began in mid-February, more than 360 officers have resigned, and sick calls have surged.
Earlier this week, Houston reported a 50% spike in absences, while New Orleans saw a 30% jump. These shortages have turned security checkpoints into a gauntlet of hour-long wait times and missed flights for travelers across the country.
Cornyn argued that the only reason the shutdown has lasted 35 days is that many lawmakers haven’t had to deal with the consequences personally. “The only reason I can fathom, other than being completely out of touch, that our Democrat colleagues would do this is not all members of Congress are being forced to experience the same mess of their own making,” he noted.
However, Democrats maintain that the focus should be on agency reform rather than symbolic gestures. Senator Patty Murray, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, criticized Republicans for refusing to fund TSA separately from controversial immigration agencies.
“Republicans are refusing to pay TSA agents unless Congress provides even more money to ICE without basic reforms. That’s a ridiculous false choice,” Murray said in a statement. “It’s past time Republicans stop holding TSA agents hostage as they drag their feet on common sense steps to rein in ICE and Border Patrol.”
The bill now moves to the House, where it must pass before heading to Trump’s desk. If signed, lawmakers will be required to join the back of the line, a change that many hope will serve as a wake up call to resolve the ongoing budget battle.
