Sen. Tester and Rep. Rosendale Urge To Delay TSA Employee Screening Policy

On Aug. 17, Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) sent a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske demanding his Agency retract their Airport Security Program National Amendment (TSA-NA-23-02) that requires airports across Montana to increase the physical screening of employees and install expensive explosive protection equipment with zero financial support.

“Aviation security screening and safety at our airports is a national priority; however, this amendment imposes unreasonable requirements on Montanan airports which already contribute substantially to airspace security,” said Rep. Rosendale. “The unrealistic timeline provided by TSA forces airports in Montana, using limited revenue sources, to develop procedures and implement random screening of aviation workers by Sept. 25, 2023. Airports in Montana cannot be expected to train staff, develop guidelines, and administer such a program in such a short amount of time. I request that the TSA rescind this unfunded mandate immediately and take financial and administrative responsibility for the requirements of this amendment.”

On Aug. 18, U.S. Senator Jon Tester led a bipartisan letter alongside Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) urging the Biden Administration to also delay this implementation.

In their letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske, Senators Tester and Hoeven stressed that while they share the agency’s commitment to enhancing the safety and security of air travel, they have concerns that the new screening policy would place an undue burden on smaller airports in rural states.

“We have serious concerns about the National Amendment’s implementation, effectiveness, and cost to operators in its current form. We are especially concerned about the National Amendment’s impacts on smaller, rural airports like those located in our states. These airports are essential to travel nationwide and serve as critical parts of America’s economic engine.”

The Senators noted in their letter that the Senate Appropriations Committee previously expressed concern about the TSA policy and requested its implementation be delayed: “As the Senate Appropriations Committee noted in language in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, the National Amendment appears to be being implemented ‘in a manner that imposes undue burdens on airport operators.’ The Committee also expressed concern that the National Amendment ‘may place requirements on non-TSA security screeners that exceed their legal authority’ and that it is being ‘implemented prior to a thorough cost benefit analysis or risk assessment.’ Due to these serious concerns, the Committee urged TSA to delay implementation of the National Amendment for at least one year and to reassess the security benefits of the amendment as well as its ‘full financial and operational impacts’ on the airports impacted by these requirements.”

Tester and Hoeven concluded their letter by urging TSA to immediately delay implementation of the burdensome policy: “We request that TSA heed the concerns raised by Congress and airport operators regarding the National Amendment and immediately delay its implementation.”

Read Rep. Rosendale's full letter to TSA Administrator Pekoske, https://rosendale.house.gov/uploadedfiles/congressman_rosendale_letter_to_tsa.pdf.

You can read Senator Tester’s bipartisan letter, http://www.tester.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023-08-18-Tester-Hoeven-Letter-to-TSA-Administrator-Pekoske-re-Employee-Screening.pdf.