Would privatizing TSA be a mistake or relief from current airport problems? Officials weigh in

(D.C. Bureau) — Recent record wait times at airports across the country amid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown are reigniting calls from Washington to privatize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting administrator of TSA, made the case before Congress this week, arguing workers and travelers deserve reliability.

“Until recently, TSA employees had missed nearly one billion in paychecks this fiscal year,” she said during a hearing. “In contrast, SPP screeners have not yet missed a paycheck.”

SPP screeners are private contractors now used at nearly two dozen airports since 2004. San Francisco’s International Airport and Greater Rochester International Airport in Upstate New........

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