Kirk-Driven Funding to Boost TSA Staff and Security Screenings Passes Full Committee

Press Release

Following reports of hours-long wait times at Chicago-area airports, and a recent staff shakeup at the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today applauded the Senate Appropriations Committee's passage of the FY2017 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill which corrects TSA's inadequate budget to provide additional resources so the security agency will reduce wait times, improve passenger and aviation security and support state and local law enforcement at airports nationwide. Last week, Senator Kirk called for the resignation of TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger if the wait times at airports like Chicago O'Hare and Midway did not improve by Memorial Day.

The bill provides $7.7 billion for TSA, $79 million over the Administrator's request. Since the TSA drastically underestimated passenger volumes, Senator Kirk worked with Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to include this additional funding.

"As we head into Memorial Day weekend, the flying public will continue to hold TSA accountable if flights are missed due to agency mismanagement, slow screening and hours-long passenger wait times. To solve these problems head-on, I worked with my colleagues to make substantive changes to the agency that keep passengers safe and on time. The continued mismanagement of this agency continues to put passengers at risk -- an increase in canine units and more than 1,000 new staff are positive steps towards restoring smooth, safe travel for passengers nationwide," said Senator Kirk.

The additional funding provides TSA the ability to enhance overall airport security with the following:

$42 million above the budget request to hire 1,344 additional TSA screener personnel
$4.7 million above the budget request for TSA screener personnel training
1,047 canine teams, including 50 additional canine teams to facilitate passenger screening, and assist state and local law enforcement in providing overall airport security and passenger safety
Investments in research and development to develop safe and efficient screening technology

The bill also includes an amendment authored by Senators Kirk and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that requires the TSA to consider passenger volume and airport risk assessments when distributing the 50 new canine teams.

Earlier this month, Senator Kirk sent a letter to Administration Neffenger requesting details on how the $34 million Congress recently approved for TSA will be used to hire more screening personnel and address the current delays at checkpoints. Less than a week after Senator Kirk's demand for improvements at Chicago O'Hare and Midway, TSA reallocated eight canine teams, converted 168 part time officers to full time, and deployed an additional 58 officers to address the ongoing delays and wait times at Chicagoland-area airports.

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