[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 50 (Thursday, March 19, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1355-S1356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
END SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR CONGRESS AT AIRPORTS ACT OF 2026
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, it has been 34 days since Democrats
chose to shut down funding at the Department of Homeland Security,
jeopardizing America's safety and well-being.
No less than 120,000 DHS employees have missed paychecks, including
the hard-working TSA agents and screeners that work at our Nation's
airports, who have been working around the clock, without pay, to keep
spring break travelers and others safe.
For example, in my home State of Texas, Houston Hobby Airport has
been recommending that travelers arrive at least 3 hours before their
flights, and if it is an international flight, they recommend 4 hours
in advance.
Well, they are not alone. Staffing constraints have not only led to
longer wait times around the country but also significant delays,
disruptions, and missed flights.
The only reason I can fathom, other than being completely out of
touch, that our Democratic colleagues would do this is because not all
Members of Congress are being forced to experience the same mess of
their own making right now.
As many Americans probably don't know, but most of us in Washington
do know, airports around the country allow Members of Congress to
bypass the usual TSA security screening process at airports nationwide.
In other words, they get to skip the line.
This should end today. Instead of enduring the same travel
tribulations and security requirements that everyone else has to meet,
Members of Congress are getting an unfair perk, while TSA officers have
to work without pay.
That is why I come to the floor today to pass my legislation, called
the End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act, to stop the
practice of expediting TSA screening processes for Members of Congress
at our Nation's airports.
This legislation would ensure that no Federal funds or resources will
be used by TSA moving forward to provide Members of Congress with these
special privileges. In other words, Congress is going to have to live
with the laws that everybody else has to live with.
Ending these courtesy escorts for Members of Congress in our Nation's
airports during a DHS funding shutdown is the right thing to do.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further
consideration of S. 4123 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate
consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 4123) to prohibit preferential screening for
Members of Congress at airports, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I now ask unanimous consent that the
Cornyn amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the
bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that
the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 4707) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the definition of Trusted Traveler Program)
On page 2, strike lines 8 through 13, and insert the
following:
(4) Trusted traveler program.--The term ``Trusted Traveler
Program'' means any of the following:
(A) Global Entry.
(B) The PreCheck Program.
(C) SENTRI.
(D) NEXUS.
(E) Any other United States Government program that issues
a unique identifier, such as a known traveler number, that
the Transportation Security Administration accepts
[[Page S1356]]
as validating that the individual holding such identifier is
a member of a known low-risk population.
(F) Any other program implemented by the Transportation
Security Administration under section 109(a)(3) of the
Aviation and Transportation Security Act (49 U.S.C. 114 note;
Public Law 107-71).
On page 2, line 24, strike ``may'' and insert ``shall''.
On page 3, line 1, strike ``bypass standard'' and insert
``be exempt from Federal passenger and baggage''.
The bill (S. 4123), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed as follows:
S. 4123
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``End Special Treatment for
Congress at Airports Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(2) Member of congress.--The term ``Member of Congress''
has the meaning given that term in section 13101 of title 5,
United States Code.
(3) Screening location.--The term ``screening location''
has the meaning given that term in section 1540.5 of title
49, Code of Federal Regulations.
(4) Trusted traveler program.--The term ``Trusted Traveler
Program'' means any of the following:
(A) Global Entry.
(B) The PreCheck Program.
(C) SENTRI.
(D) NEXUS.
(E) Any other United States Government program that issues
a unique identifier, such as a known traveler number, that
the Transportation Security Administration accepts as
validating that the individual holding such identifier is a
member of a known low-risk population.
(F) Any other program implemented by the Transportation
Security Administration under section 109(a)(3) of the
Aviation and Transportation Security Act (49 U.S.C. 114 note;
Public Law 107-71).
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT FOR STANDARD SECURITY SCREENING.
(a) In General.--None of the funds appropriated or
otherwise made available to the Transportation Security
Administration shall be used to provide or facilitate the
provision of a Member of Congress with expedited or
preferential access to or through security screenings
required pursuant to section 44901 of title 49, United States
Code.
(b) No Expedited Access.--A Member of Congress shall not--
(1) be exempt from Federal passenger and baggage screening
procedures of the Transportation Security Administration; or
(2) receive priority or expedited access to a screening
location on the basis of the official position of such Member
of Congress.
SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed--
(1) to limit the authority of the Transportation Security
Administration to implement risk-based security programs
available to the general public; or
(2) to prohibit Members of Congress from participating in a
publicly available Trusted Traveler Program, provided such
participation is not based on the official positions of such
Members of Congress.
SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT.
(a) Policy Implementation.--The Administrator shall update
policies and procedures as necessary to ensure compliance
with this Act.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to
Congress a report on the implementation of, and compliance
with, this Act.
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I am glad the Senate has agreed with
this commonsense bill to prevent those of us who pass laws--or, in this
case, refuse to pass the laws funding DHS appropriations--to prevent us
from receiving special privileges. Maybe, just maybe, if Congress has
to live under the same laws that everybody else does, it will motivate
us to get our work done--in other words, to fund the Department of
Homeland Security--so no American, so no air traveler will have to
suffer the disruption and the tribulations that many, many travelers
are having to experience now.
It is not too much to expect that Congress will be subject to the
same rules as everyone else. We know trust in Congress is at an alltime
low, but today, thank goodness, the Senate has taken an important step
toward restoring the trust of the people we are here to represent.
I yield the floor.
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