President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration sought to ease concerns over expanding private airport screening at his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, saying the existing program is “pro-worker” and won't be a threat to the future of TSA’s workforce.
David Cummins, a former senior vice president at government contractor Serco, would take over an agency with roughly 60,000 employees responsible for security operations at more than 440 airports nationwide. He would inherit a TSA that has faced persistent staffing and morale challenges, particularly after this year’s record-long partial government shutdown left TSA employees working for weeks without pay. The funding lapse prompted thousands of officers to call out of work and about 1,100 to quit altogether, leading to long lines at some U.S. airports.
