Sens Mike Lee, Tommy Tuberville introduce bill to abolish TSA, privatize airport security

Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) have introduced legislation that would abolish the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) if enacted. The Utah senator has floated the idea before, but has now put together a bill to put forward in Congress. 

"The TSA has not only intruded into the privacy and personal space of most Americans, it has also repeatedly failed tests to find weapons and explosives. Our bill privatizes security functions at American airports under the eye of an Office of Aviation Security Oversight, bringing this bureaucratic behemoth to a welcome end. American families can travel safely without feeling the hands of an army of federal employees," Lee told Fox News. 

In a one-page press release on the subject, Lee's office wrote, arguing against the continued reliance on TSA, "In addition to widespread allegations of employee misconduct and theft, a 2015 assessment found that TSA agents missed 95% of mock explosives and banned weapons during checkpoint screenings. The 95% failure rate was repeated in 2017 at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport and repeat national tests that year were 'in the ballpark' of 80% failure rates."

A draft of the bill outlines how the TSA would be abolished within three years and the airline industry would move towards a model of privatization of security. Tuberville, for his part, said, "The TSA is an inefficient, bureaucratic mess that infringes on Americans' freedoms. It’s a bloated agency—riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars—that has led to unnecessary delays, invasive pat downs and bag checks, and frustration for travelers.

Tuberville added, "We need to focus on more efficient and effective methods to protect our country without sacrificing the liberties and freedoms of American citizens. The TSA should be eliminated and replaced with privatized solutions that are more targeted, streamlined, and where appropriate accountable to limited government oversight."

The senators specifically called for there to be a plan that would not include warrantless searches and seizures or extend TSA's existence. In addition, the bill would create an  Office of Aviation Security Oversight that would be under the  Federal Aviation Administration, which would oversee the privatization process. 
 

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