End Special Treatment for Congress At Airports Act of 2026

Floor Speech

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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.

4123 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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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.

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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.

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