TSA agents were paid this week, but the Department of Homeland Security is still withholding a special airport service for lawmakers until they pass a bill to fund the agency.
“Because of the Democrats’ reckless shutdown, suspension of all TSA courtesy escorts at airports for members of Congress remains in effect,” a spokesperson for DHS told Semafor. “This shutdown is still impacting the DHS employees working around the clock to protect the Homeland. It must end now.”
Delta Air Lines announced last week it would suspend some of the special services it offers to members of Congress, a freeze that is still in effect.
Making travel less comfortable was supposed to pressure members of Congress to act, but they left Washington without passing a funding bill anyway. One possible reason: Airport travel is still easier for lawmakers than for the general public.
At DC-area airports, US Capitol Police officers handle airport logistics for lawmakers. This can include helping members of Congress bypass standard TSA screening processes. Lawmakers also have staff to coordinate travel. And airlines, including Delta, offer dedicated phone lines for lawmakers and their staff, who can book and release flights under special rules not available to the public.
“It’s performative,” a former senior Democratic aide said of Delta’s announcement, predicting it was unlikely to meaningfully impact lawmakers’ travel.
The shutdown has intensified scrutiny of the special treatment lawmakers receive at airports. A video of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., being escorted by Capitol Police at a Washington airport went viral, sparking accusations of preferential treatment for lawmakers while DHS remained shut down (the video was taken before the shutdown). Even before the shutdown, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., made headlines after a heated confrontation with airport police and TSA agents at Charleston International Airport, where she was accused of cursing at officers during a dispute over security procedures.
Screening privileges, some members argue, are about safety.
“That was put in place recently because of our security concerns,” said Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash. “Not because we’re special, but because we’re especially targeted.”
“One of the dangerous places for a person who’s a target is in a slow moving line at an airport,” Larsen said.
Others, however, downplay risks. Responding to claims that long lines could endanger lawmakers, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said, “That’s an occupational hazard.”
Before leaving town, the Senate unanimously passed a bill introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, which would require lawmakers to undergo the same TSA screening procedures as all other airline passengers, and prevent the use of federal funds for preferential access at airport security. It has yet to pass the House, though.
Meanwhile, with lawmakers off for Easter recess, TMZ issued an open call for pictures of lawmakers vacationing, quipping that “since compromise isn’t working, maybe some shame will.”