More Cuts Could be Coming to TSA

When thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers called out of work in recent weeks as Congress was stuck in a standoff that withheld their pay, Americans saw how vital a well-staffed TSA is to smooth travel. But recent budget documents show the Trump administration wants to cut a number of TSA jobs, replacing some with a private workforce, in an effort to reduce costs.

The White House requested, according to a Department of Homeland Security budget congressional justification document released on March 31, a TSA budget of $11.7 billion for the next fiscal year, which would represent reductions of almost 8,400 positions and about 9,400 full-time equivalents (FTEs).

This includes the reduction of 2,462 Transportation Security Officer (TSO) positions and 4,351 TSO FTEs. Such officers are known as airport frontliners, performing passenger screening and searches. The proposal also includes the reassignment of more than 800 TSA posts for staffing exit lanes, which the White House says would save some $97.3 million.

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