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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 2 July 2019

Chief says shorthanded TSA will handle July 4 travel surge

By DAVID KOENIG toms and Border Protection
AP Airlines Writer agents by performing non-
The chief of the Transpor- law enforcement duties in
tation Security Administra- connection with an influx
tion says travelers should of migrants at the southern
see only a slight increase in border. The Homeland Se-
checkpoint wait times over curity Department plans to
the four-day July 4 holiday eventually hire contractors
weekend despite the diver- for that work, Pekoske said.
sion of about 350 employ- TSA says the number of
ees including screeners to workers — also including
the U.S.-Mexico border. federal air marshals — sent
David Pekoske said Mon- to the border may rise
day that TSA can manage to 650 but won't exceed
the loss of those screeners if about 1% of the agency's
it is only temporary. He said 63,000 employees, 50,000
the border deployment has of whom are airport screen-
not had a measurable im- ers. Earlier this year, the
pact on airport wait times Trump administration asked
so far. Congress for money to hire
"This is a temporary mea- 700 more screeners. Peko-
sure. We don't anticipate ske said all 700 positions are
this would be a long-term still needed.
measure," Pekoske said of TSA, however, is struggling In this Jan. 11, 2019, file photo, passengers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration
sending screeners to the to keep current workers. It checkpoint at the Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia.
border. He said TSA can loses about one-fifth of its Associated Press
handle the diversion "for screeners each year. That
the next several months." means more spending to
TSA expects to screen train new hires, and "it's not
about 12.1 million people good for security either,"
between Wednesday and Pekoske said, "because we
Sunday for the July 4 holi- are constantly bringing in
day period. Pekoske told re- new people and having to
porters that Sunday will be train them up, so the expe-
the busiest day at check- rience level at certain air-
points as holiday travelers ports will get rather young."
fly home, but there will be Pekoske blamed pay rates
crowds each day in early that are too low to com-
morning and again in late pete for workers in many
afternoon and early eve- cities. In response, TSA has
ning. offered retention bonuses
Employees from TSA and — some up to 60% of pay,
agencies are helping Cus- he said.q