Congress approved a $34 million reprogramming request from DHS to hire additional full-time screeners in May, and today an additional $28 million reprogramming request was approved by Congress for TSA to convert an additional 2,784 Transportation Security Officers (TSO) from part-time to full-time and accelerate the hiring of 600 TSOs
In a letter to TSA Administrator Neffenger, the Minnesota congressional delegation urged the agency to provide MSP with a sufficient number of newly hired screeners to ensure all available checkpoint screening lanes remain open during peak travel periods this summer
WASHINGTON, DC –Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Representative Tom Emmer, and the other members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation today called on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to provide additional screeners to cut wait times at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Congress approved a $34 million reprogramming request from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to hire additional full-time screeners in May, and today an additional $28 million reprogramming request was approved by Congress for TSA to convert an additional 2,784 Transportation Security Officers (TSO) from part-time to full-time and accelerate the hiring of an additional 600 TSOs. In a letter to TSA Administrator Neffenger, the Minnesota congressional delegation urged the agency to provide MSP with a sufficient number of newly hired screeners to ensure all available checkpoint screening lanes remain open during peak travel periods this summer.
“We remain concerned that in addition to posing a security risk, wait times will cause significant and costly inconvenience to thousands of passengers traveling from MSP this summer,” the lawmakers wrote. “Ensuring that wait times are kept to a reasonable level this summer requires all sixteen checkpoint lanes be open during peak travel periods. Yet, all lanes are rarely open. It is our sincere hope that a sufficient number of the newly hired screeners will be provided to MSP in order to keep all screening lanes open during peak travel periods.”
The full text of the Minnesota congressional delegation’s letter is below:
Dear Administrator Neffenger,
We would like to thank you for the work you have done to address the ongoing wait-time challenges at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), including a March site visit, approval of overtime, and deployment of additional K-9 teams. These measures have made a difference, but long wait times still pose a security threat and a burden on travelers. We write to request that you build on the progress made this far by deploying additional Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to the MSP as soon as possible to ensure all available checkpoint screening lanes remain open during peak travel periods this summer.
Wait times continue to exceed what most passengers consider acceptable. During the spring travel period peak wait times in some areas exceeded 40 minutes and we remain concerned that in addition to posing a security risk, these wait times will cause significant and costly inconvenience to thousands of passengers traveling from MSP this summer. The Metropolitan Airport Commission, airlines, and your local team at the airport are doing excellent work to achieve checkpoint efficiencies, but the increase in passenger traffic anticipated at MSP necessitates additional officers be deployed.
Ensuring that wait times are kept to a reasonable level this summer requires all sixteen checkpoint lanes be open during peak travel periods. Yet, all lanes are rarely open. In May, Congress approved a $34 million reprogramming request from DHS in order to hire 768 additional full-time screeners. This week Congress approved another $28 million reprogramming request for an additional 600 screeners. It is our sincere hope that a sufficient number of the newly hired screeners will be provided to MSP in order to keep all screening lanes open during peak travel periods.
In the 21st century, threats to travel safety have become more complex. TSA has the difficult, but important task of balancing efficiency with safety in the face of these risks. As we work together to ensure Minnesotans are safe we should be focusing on streamlining procedures, and ensuring staffing levels move forward with new technology and procedures. We appreciate your efforts thus far and look forward to continuing to work with you.
Sincerely,
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