New Administration, Same Challenges for TSA

Unable to hire staff thanks to the federal hiring freeze, passengers at security checkpoints could see a return to long lines and increased wait times at airports around the country.

A new administration has taken office, but the change seems to have made little difference to the beleaguered Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Like other federal departments, the TSA has and likely will continue to be impacted by the hiring freeze instituted by President Donald Trump last month.

This, of course, has implications on the agency’s ability to hire additional frontline Transportation Security Officers (TSOs). For travelers, this could herald the return of the long lines seen at many a checkpoint last summer.

Speaking before the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Friday, J. David Cox, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the labor body which represents TSA staff, said, as quoted by Skift, “It’s our understanding that there is a hiring freeze for all of Homeland Security at this point. It is our understanding there is a hiring freeze for TSA and other organizations inside Homeland Security.”

He also added that, at present, the agency is understaffed by 5,000 TSOs. Cox’s testimony presented a clear picture of the demands and challenges facing the TSA with respect to the hiring freeze. “In addition to maintaining the TSO workforce, Congress must be accountable for providing the resources necessary to provide the level of screening demanded by the public. Last summer’s checkpoint delays were largely caused by TSA’s failure to maintain the necessary level of staffing,” he said.

Cox added, “TSA admitted that TSO staffing levels fell from 47,147 full-time employees in 2013 to 42,525 in 2015.” In the past, the outlet explained, government agencies could skirt a hiring freeze by using contract employees, but this is a move that has proved to be previously unpopular with Congress.

In the past, Cox testified, “TSA allowed TSO vacancies to go unfilled based on faulty staffing projection.” However, he added, “Congress must not allow TSA to ‘blow smoke’ about necessary staffing levels.”

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