U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's proposal to let members of Congress circumvent pesky airport checkpoints and get private screenings while traveling by air has been grounded by a fellow lawmaker, The Hill reports.
Mississippi U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, issued an objection dropping Cruz's measure from the current Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, The Hill reports, citing people familiar with the negotiations.
Cruz, a Texas Republican, drew up a proposal that would establish special, hidden-from-view security screenings for federal lawmakers, judges and cabinet members who could show they faced "credible threats." He tried to tack the provision onto the larger FAA bill for easier passage.
When Cruz introduced his proposal earlier this year, he touted it as an effort to protect public servants as they endure the chaos and carnage of the nation's airports. However, news organizations pointed out the legislation also would help he and other lawmakers from being spotted doing embarrassing shit like ... oh, you know, jetting off to Cancun during a statewide disaster.
Thompson blocked Cruz's addition to the FAA bill after the Transportation Security Administration lobbied against it, according to The Hill's unnamed source. Congressional leaders and administration officials also balked at giving special treatment to lawmakers, the news site also reports.
A top political strategist for the Airports Council International-North America trade association told Politico earlier this year that Cruz's proposal would put more stress on airports already facing “continued cuts to federal security programs that help support local law enforcement staffing."
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Ted Cruz's proposal to let members of Congress skip airport security hits roadblock
A colleague objected to the measure being tacked onto an FAA reauthorization bill.
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