Cato Podcast Congressional Feuding and Airport Chaos
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Mar 31, 2026 Chris Edwards, economist and Kilt's Family Chair in Fiscal Studies, explains how tying airport screening to federal budgets creates chaos. He discusses the March 2026 DHS funding lapse and unpaid TSA staff. He compares U.S. policy to private and airport-run models abroad and argues for removing screening from federal appropriations to improve performance.
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TSA Became An Intrusive Costly Bureaucracy
- The TSA grew from post‑9/11 security fears into a large federal agency with broad intrusive powers.
- Patrick Eddington lists failed scanners, SPOT behavioral programs, and secret watchlist criteria as examples of costly ineffective measures.
Red Team Tests Show Screening Failures
- Covert
Quiet Skies Tracked Innocent Travelers
- The TSA ran mass domestic surveillance programs like Quiet Skies that tracked U.S. persons without criminal ties.
- Patrick Eddington notes internal DHS reviews found innocent travelers monitored under Quiet Skies and Silent Partner.