Cummins tells senators private screening program is ‘pro-worker’
David Cummins, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration, told senators at his confirmation hearing Thursday that he would prioritize frontline TSA officers and visit airports to reassure them after this year’s partial government shutdown disrupted staffing and morale.
Cummins, a former senior vice president at government contractor Serco, would take over an agency with thousands of employees responsible for security operations at airports nationwide. He would inherit a TSA that has faced persistent staffing and morale challenges, particularly after the funding lapse left officers working without pay for weeks and prompted thousands of callouts and about 1,100 employees to quit.
In his opening statement, Cummins pledged to prioritize frontline TSA officers, saying his first task, if confirmed, would be to visit airports and reassure employees that he would “do everything in my power to protect and support them in the future.”
Cummins also sought to ease concerns about expanding private airport screening. He described the existing program as “pro-worker” and said it would not threaten the TSA workforce.
The hearing takes place as the TSA continues to recover from the aftermath of the shutdown, which led to long security lines at some U.S. airports.