A Senate panel this week moved forward with an amendment submitted by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that would grant high-profile politicians express passage through airport security, Politico reports.
Cruz, who came under fire in 2021 after he was photographed at an airport leaving his home state for Cancún amidst a devastating winter storm, claims that his proposal is necessary to ensure the safety of public officials. During a markup on Thursday, the Senate Commerce Committee added a modified version of the amendment to a major aviation policy bill, moving it one step closer to becoming law.
According to the amendment, certain political officials, including legislators, federal judges, members of the Cabinet, and some members of their family or staff would be provided with a dedicated security escort while inside airports, which would provide them with express service through security that would take place outside the view of the public.
The Transportation Security Administration would be mostly responsible for organizing and maintaining this service, but the amendment also allows the agency to arrange for an escort through other law-enforcement groups such as airport police.
However, Kevin Murphy, executive director of the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network, a nonprofit that represents airport police, pushed back on the proposal in a statement last week that said it would be "a burden to airport police agencies," which are already underfunded in federal budgets, and would distract officers from "crime suppression and security functions at airports, which is our fundamental duty."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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