Members of Congress could see increased security while traveling through commercial airports under a proposed amendment being pushed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
The measure being proposed by the Texas Republican would allow members of Congress and their family members to request increased security while traveling through airports if they are determined to be currently or previously a “subject of a threat.” The amendment would also apply to federal judges and Cabinet members.
Cruz is seeking to attach the amendment to a larger aviation policy bill that is set to be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee next week.
The bill would have the Transportation Security Administration provide security escort to travel with the member or their family members “through a commercial airport without delay” and at no cost. The security escort would be expected to stay with the member “for the entirety of the time” and would allow the lawmakers or Cabinet members to receive expedited screening outside of public view.
In 2021, Cruz was photographed inside an airport while en route to Cancun, despite the state of Texas experiencing severe effects of a winter storm that left many residents without power. Photos emerged of the Texas senator boarding his flight, which resulted in backlash on social media.
If passed, some reports have argued it could make it more difficult for lawmakers to become the subject of such criticism online. However, the amendment would do little to prevent this as the legislation only grants lawmakers security personnel rather than blocking travelers from taking photos.
There’s also no indication the legislation is a response to the backlash Cruz received, and the Texas senator has emphasized the bill is meant to crack down on “serious security threats facing public officials,” he told Politico.
“This language was drafted in a bipartisan manner to address the growing number of serious threats to justices, judges, public officials, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,” Melissa Braid, the spokeswoman for the Senate Republican Commerce Committee, said in a statement. “With rising security incidents at airports, this amendment ensures that—when law enforcement determines that there is a serious threat—reasonable security measures will be taken to keep everybody safe.”
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The bill comes as lawmakers are receiving increased threats while traveling and at home. The U.S. Capitol Police reported 8,000 threats it investigated during 2023, a significant increase from the 500 reports from the year before.
Update: This story has been updated to clarify that the bill was not introduced as a response to the 2021 scandal.
