Trump's pick to lead TSA calls private airport screening program 'pro-worker,' vows to help workers

By

RIO YAMAT, AP Airlines and Travel Writer

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.In his opening statement, Cummins pledged to prioritize front line 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.”

“The challenges ahead are significant,” Cummins told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. “But the opportunities to transform the TSA on the eve of its 25th anniversary are even greater.”