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Ted Cruz wants lawmakers to get security escorts through America’s airports
Cruz told POLITICO that his amendment is about ensuring that political VIPs aren’t endangered as they pass through public spaces in airports.

By ORIANA PAWLYK
02/03/2024 10:43 AM EST

Viral photos of politicians jetting off to a tropical hideaway during a deadly cold wave might become a lot rarer under legislation being pushed by Sen. Ted Cruz.

The Texas Republican — infamously photographed by a gawker while en route to Cancún in 2021 — is proposing a bill amendment that would offer lawmakers a dedicated security escort at airports, along with expedited screening outside of public view. That could make it much less likely that the politicians’ comings and goings would become fodder for embarrassing news reports and late-night comedy mockery.

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Ted Cruz Adds Personal Protection Amendment To FAA Reauthorization

Marisa Garcia
Senior Contributor
I offer an insider’s view of the business of flight.
Feb 4, 2024, 06:03am EST

Senator Ted Cruz has attached an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill. The amendment would provide free personal protection and Transportation Security Administration special handling for Members of Congress, Cabinet Members, and Federal Judges at U.S. commercial airports.

The amendment would require that any commercial U.S. airport the official and their family members or staff might travel through offer a security escort for the official and their entourage. It would also require the TSA to make special arrangements for private security screening of the officials and those accompanying them. The amendment calls on the TSA and FAA to calculate the costs of offering these additional protection services and to brief Congress on requirements for staffing and resources.

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