Could TSA privatize? Acting administrator says 'nothing is off the table'

USA Today

21-05-2025

Could TSA privatize? Acting administrator says 'nothing is off the table'
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TSA's Acting Administrator says 'nothing is off the table' regarding privatization of the agency.
Privatization could save money and increase accountability, but also compromise security and workers' rights.
The possibility of privatization has been met with resistance, particularly from unions representing TSA officers.
When it comes to possible privatization of the Transportation Security Administration, the agency's chief said 'nothing is off the table.'
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, asked TSA's Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill during an oversight hearing before the House Appropriations Committee whether she believed the agency should be privatized. Escobar cited concerns from constituents and TSA employees about the possibility.
'I think … the North Star for us at TSA is making sure that we are driving the highest level of security, the best passenger experience in the most efficient way possible,' McNeill told lawmakers during the May 20 hearing. 'And so if new privatization schemes make sense, then we're happy to have that discussion to see what we can come up with.'
She added that some airports could choose to privatize while others don't. 'It's not an all-or-nothing game,' she said.
What would it mean if the TSA privatized?
The possibility of privatizing TSA has been a divisive idea. The public agency was "created specifically in response to the failures of the private airport screening model to stop" the terrorist attacks on 9/11, said Scott Keyes, founder of Going.
"Proponents of privatizing TSA argue that doing so would save money (especially in smaller airports), allow for more accountability of errant workers, and bring the U.S. in line with many other countries that have privatized some or all of their airport screeners," he told USA TODAY in an email.
McNeill noted that privatization 'has always been a part of the TSA construct since its inception under the Screening Partnership Program,' which contracts with private companies for security screening at commercial airports. According to the TSA's website, 21 airports participate in the SPP.
While Keyes said there has not yet been a "serious push" to privatize the agency, other types of privatization in aviation aren't totally unheard-of. In many countries, including Canada, air traffic control is fully privatized. Even in the U.S., some smaller air traffic control facilities are contracted out to private operators that partner with the Federal Aviation Administration.
There have long been calls to fully privatize the FAA's air traffic control organization, though none of those proposals have been adopted.
What are the risks of privatizing TSA?
Keyes said opponents of the idea "point to safety and workers' rights."
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents around 47,000 TSA Transportation Security Officers, has said that privatizing screening could compromise security and result in high employee turnover, as was commonly seen prior to 9/11.
Keyes also noted that the cost savings would be partly achieved by paying private screeners lower wages than TSA officers make now.
TSA did not immediately share a comment on the concerns prior to publishing.
Escobar also pushed back on the idea during the hearing, which she noted was mentioned in Project 2025. President Donald Trump distanced himself from the conservative policy blueprint while campaigning, but many of his moves have closely aligned with it since taking office.
'I definitely would call (privatization) a 'scheme' as well,' she told McNeill. 'I hope that privatization is not a part of the administration's efforts.'
The Department of Homeland Security announced it was ending collective bargaining for TSOs in March, arguing the move would 'enhance productivity and resiliency' and make the workforce more agile, among other benefits. AFGE sued the Trump administration following the decision.
'This attack on our members is not just an attack on AFGE or transportation security officers. It's an assault on the rights of every American worker,' AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a news release at the time. 'Tearing up a legally negotiated union contract is unconstitutional, retaliatory, and will make the TSA experience worse for American travelers.'
McNeill said during the hearing that the committee, Congress and stakeholders have a say as officials 'look to modernize TSA.'
Keyes believes "it's still quite unlikely we'll see the Trump Administration privatize the TSA, given the extreme political risk if another terrorist attack were to occur."
"But given what we've seen from DOGE and the White House this year," he continued, "it's fair to say that the chances of privatization have never been higher."