WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Last week, the House Committee on Homeland Security convened a hearing to explore policy proposals that modernize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to bolster aviation security and improve the passenger experience. 

Witness testimony was provided by Christopher Sununu, President and CEO of Airlines for America (A4A); Chris McLaughlin, CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW); and Everett Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).  

Witnesses urged lawmakers to strengthen the transportation security system by pushing for an end to the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee (PSF) diversion and instead directing PSF revenue towards the enhancement of security screening technology. By enabling public and private partnerships through a number of TSA programs, TSA can focus on building a strong workforce capable of mitigating security risks while managing passenger screening procedures efficiently. Witnesses also described how the recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown significantly strained TSA’s workforce and resources, leading to recruitment and retention challenges. 

As part of the efforts to modernize TSA, Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Dale Strong (R-AL) led the introduction of the “Spending Aviation Fees for Equipment, Guaranteeing Upgraded and Advanced Risk Detection and Safety Act,” or SAFEGUARDS Act, to ensure the PSF revenue is used to enhance the nation’s transportation security infrastructure. Additionally, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) introduced the “Improving Travel for American Families Act,” which authorizes a pilot program at a minimum of five airports to implement dedicated screening lanes for families traveling with children under the age of 12, with priority to implement at airports that see the highest volume of family travelers. 
 

In his opening statement, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) thanked TSA officers for continuing their critical mission despite financial uncertainty created by two partisan shutdowns. He reiterated the need to upgrade security screening technology and maintain strong public-private partnerships to create a travel experience that is safer and more efficient for travelers in and out of the U.S.:

“First and foremost, we must recognize the impact that recent shutdowns have had on TSA’s frontline workforce. Between the 2025 and 2026 shutdowns, transportation security officers endured a total of 119 days impacted by shutdown conditions. That means TSA officers spent roughly 40% of this fiscal year reporting to work without a paycheck, while continuing to carry out one of the most important security missions in the federal government. Despite the uncertainty and financial strain, these officers still showed up every day to protect the public and keep our aviation system secure.”

“Today’s threat environment has drastically changed since TSA was first created, and it is imperative that the security and efficiency of our travel system keep pace with the increasingly sophisticated tools leveraged by our adversaries. The best security system is one that passengers barely notice, which requires seamless, accurate, and effective security screening technology paired with a highly trained security workforce. TSA modernization is not about abandoning the rules of the past. It’s about investing in the tools and partnerships of the future to achieve the best security outcomes and improve the traveler experience for all.”

Chairman Garbarino asked how the SAFEGUARDS Act would help TSA and Americans, to which Mr. McLaughlin testified:

“It would be incredibly impactful… [DFW is] growing about 20 percent over the next five years, and we needed to advance our security as a result of that. Our best opportunity to ensure best-in-class security systems across our checkpoints was to participate in TSA’s capability acceptance process, which we’ve done willingly. Now, we’ll kick that off this year to the tune of more than $50 million, and that’s just the first bite at the apple. That cost, most of that cost, will ultimately be passed on to the airlines, who will then ultimately pass it on to the consumer. The idea that the consumer is going to pay that fee and then continue to pay the 9/11 fee is disheartening. So, the sooner we get this resolved, the better. The fee diversion should stop. I think it’s near $16 billion over the last 12 to 13 years, and that would go an awful long way.”
 

Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) asked how partnerships between the public and private sectors, including through optional programs like the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), can help airports that need it prepare for the threats of tomorrow and create a seamless travel experience for passengers, to which Mr. McLaughlin and Mr. Sununu testified:

Mr. McLaughlin: “The SPP program has been around really since the onset of TSA, and it has worked for 22 airports around the country. I think it’s important for airports to have choices. I think there might be places where an SPP model could work for specific airports. I think lower volume airports have over time been the more likely airports to participate in SPP. A lot of that has to do with labor availability and other issues in remote areas…At an airport like DFW…our federal TSA officers do an amazing job––even during the shutdowns.”  

Mr. Sununu: “The National Airspace is a public-private partnership, right? So, I represent the airlines much more on the private side. And on the public side, you have the air traffic controllers, the TSA agents, all those pieces. It has to work hand-in-glove together. And I firmly believe on the private side, the airlines and the other private contractors and private entities… From the point you park your car to the point you get to where you’re going, there’s a lot of different pieces there. And I think the private end has done a phenomenal job in spite of two government shutdowns.” 
 

Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) asked how to bolster TSA’s workforce readiness ahead of major events on U.S. soil, to which Mr. McLaughlin testified:

“I think the broader theme that I want to address that you’re touching on is the evolution of civil aviation security over 25 years. I think we have to recognize that evolution has to happen. Everything else in our society has. This discussion today should not be a discussion between humans and tools. It should be a discussion about how we can create better tools that humans can then maximize the potential from… Our officers have to continually get more efficient, with better and better tools in their hands, the same way that every other aspect of our society has evolved. That’s how we address major events like FIFA, major events like the Olympics. That’s how we prepare for the next iteration of aviation security in the U.S.”
 

Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) asked how the current diversion of the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee has affected TSA’s ability to keep up with evolving threats, to which Mr. Sununu testified:

“First and foremost, we’ve effectively been living a lie, right? Every time we tell a passenger that they’re paying a 9/11 fee, we’re lying to them because this body has, up until now, up until the SAFEGUARDS Act, which will finally stop this madness, diverted billions, about a billion and a half a year in the past few years. And that money is critically needed… When we looked at the technology that’s really needed to get us where we need to be, right now, we’re on pace for maybe 2042, 2043––like 15 years out. That’s how far behind we are, and that’s how much we’ve let down both the TSOs themselves from not having the technology to do their job better, the airports themselves, from, again, being partners in that investment and putting the burden on everybody else… The SAFEGUARDS Act is just the first, but an incredibly critical step to making sure that this nonsense is finally pushed into the positive direction.”
 

Rep. Matt Van Epps (R-TN) asked how TSA can help mitigate escalating threats from Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, to which Mr. McLaughlin and Mr. Sununu testified:

Mr. Sununu: “A lot of the UAS regulations will fall under FAA, and the most important thing we need is communication. We need our agencies not to live in silos, whether it’s TSA, FAA, the airports themselves, the private and public aspects. They all need much better communication as this potential threat grows. I think that’s one area we have seen it fall apart a little bit is on that communication side.” 

Mr. McLaughlin: “There’s a framework that exists. And I think that, yes, it’s okay for TSA to perform as the lead federal agency in terms of response, but it can’t be done in a silo. And they must rely on the knowledge and experience of their local partners.”
 

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