Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blasted the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for allegedly misusing billions of dollars in funding earmarked to ease the travel chaos at JFK Airport in Queens.
The New York Democrat said he told TSA Administrator David Pekoske on Thursday that New York City airports "cannot be known for hours-long TSA lines," according to the New York Post.
"The TSA line at JFK has people packed like sardines for hours!" Schumer reportedly fumed. "Hours of waiting in security lines at New York City airports is unacceptable, especially given the funds are there to avoid this kind of thing."
In the latest $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package, more than $9 billion was earmarked for TSA improvements, including $4 million for increased hiring of new agents.
"I've worked to allocate the TSA the federal funds needed to meet the mark here, and now they must deliver," Schumer reportedly said.
According to Bounce, a business travel booking site, JFK travelers' wait times at security averaged 22 minutes, 48 seconds, while their wait times at passport control averaged 25 minutes, 36 seconds.
The combined average wait time was 48 minutes, 24 seconds, according to the Bounce data, which used the online wait times reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and TSA between April 26, 2022, and April 25, 2023.
"Billions for TSA have been secured — specifically for New York service," Schumer's spokesman Angelo Roefaro told the Post. "What's the delay in hiring and training new agents?"
In a follow-up letter to Pekoske posted on Facebook, Schumer expressed concern about what the long wait times mean for the "busy Labor Day travel rush."
He asked what level of passenger travel the TSA is expecting for the upcoming Labor Day holiday and also asked what steps the agency is taking to prepare for the higher travel volumes.
In a statement, the TSA said that passenger volume has exceeded pre-COVID levels, both at JFK and across the nation, and is only increasing.
"For FY24, TSA expects another 4.5% increase in passenger volume," the agency said. "The funding provided in the FY24 President's Budget reflects a balanced approach to address this projection and fiscal reality. It is imperative that TSA continue to increase staffing levels to handle the projected growth in passenger travel.
"Tuesdays are traditionally one of TSA's lowest passenger volume days (along with Wednesdays). We staff accordingly to ensure that we are fully staffed on the busiest days of the week, which are the bookends leading into and out of the weekend, i.e., Thursday and Friday as well as Sunday and Monday. TSA's wait time standards are 30 minutes and under for standard passengers and 10 minutes and under for TSA PreCheck passengers."