Key facts
- The U.S. Senate confirmed David Cummins to lead the Transportation Security Administration.
- Cummins' confirmation comes as the Trump administration seeks to privatize screeners at smaller airports.
- The Senate also confirmed James Macy and David Prouty to the National Labor Relations Board.
- These NLRB confirmations establish a Republican majority on the five-member board.
- President Trump's administration has proposed significant budget cuts and privatization measures for the TSA.
The U.S. Senate confirmed David Cummins, a senior vice president at Serco, to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) amidst the Trump administration's push to privatize screeners at smaller airports. The confirmation occurred on a 51-47 vote, which also approved dozens of other nominees, including those for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Transportation Safety Board, Surface Transportation Board, White House Council of Economic Advisers, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
President Trump has proposed significant reductions to the TSA's annual budget and workforce, including a plan to require smaller airports to utilize private security firms. This move is projected to cut over 4,500 jobs from the TSA payroll as a step toward broader privatization. Several airports, including those in Tampa, Des Moines, and Charleston, are already planning to implement private security screeners, a practice already in place at about 20 airports nationwide.
In parallel, the Senate confirmed James Macy and David Prouty to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), establishing a Republican majority on the five-member board. Macy, an employer representative, and Prouty, a former union lawyer, were approved as part of a larger bloc of nominees. This Republican majority is anticipated to lead to the reversal of recent decisions that have favored union organizing. The NLRB enforces federal labor law and adjudicates complaints, with its decisions subject to appeal in federal courts. Companies like Amazon.com and SpaceX have previously challenged the NLRB's internal processes.
The TSA has faced disruptions, including a six-week period where 50,000 workers went without pay during a government shutdown, leading to extended security wait times. Airlines for America, a major airline industry group, has expressed opposition to the administration's proposal for private security screeners at smaller airports.