Funding Gridlock Stalls Homeland Security as Airport Queues Grow
A bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security has stalled in the Senate, despite growing concerns over long airport security lines. Democrats propose an alternative TSA-focused measure.
Lawmakers in Washington are facing a standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, even as travelers across the country grapple with increasingly lengthy waits at airport security checkpoints.
A proposal to provide funding for the DHS failed to advance in the Senate on Friday, as Democrats declined to lend their support to the measure. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that he would offer an alternative bill on Saturday that would allocate resources specifically to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which oversees passenger and luggage screening at the nation's airports.
However, Schumer's proposal is also expected to face an uphill battle, with both parties digging in on their positions amid the broader budget impasse. The gridlock in Congress comes at a particularly inopportune time, as the busy summer travel season approaches and airports struggle to process the influx of passengers efficiently.
Source: The Guardian
