July 13, 2026
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National Taxpayers Union urges all representatives to vote “YES” on H.R. 8770, the “SAFEGUARDS” Act authored by Rep. Strong (R-AL). This legislation would end the diversion of Passenger Security Fee revenue to the general fund, ensuring that the fees collected from airline passengers are used for their intended purpose—supporting passenger screening and aviation security.
American travelers pay a mandatory $11.20 Passenger Security Fee with every round-trip airline ticket to help fund the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Yet, under current law, a significant portion of the roughly $4.5 billion collected annually is diverted to the general fund rather than being used for aviation security. In fact, over the past decade about $15 billion in passenger security fees has been redirected to non-security purposes, undermining the very rationale for imposing the fee. As a result, travelers are paying into a system that is not fully funded by the revenues collected specifically for that purpose.
Thankfully, the SAFEGUARDS Act would restore the Passenger Security Fee to its intended purpose: strengthening aviation security. While the optimal approach may be to eventually privatize TSA operations, in the interim, ending this fee diversion is a commonsense move that will benefit the security professionals safeguarding America’s airports as much as the travelling public.
The legislation would also help ensure that TSA employees continue to be paid during a lapse in appropriations. No one wins in a government shutdown, and the consequences are especially evident at the nation’s airports, where unpaid TSA officers have historically led to staffing shortages, lengthy security lines, and unnecessary disruptions for travelers. Passengers who pay a dedicated security fee should have confidence that the personnel responsible for keeping airports secure can continue performing their critical mission.
The original rationale for diverting a portion of the Passenger Security Fee was to help reduce the federal deficit—a worthwhile objective. With annual deficits exceeding $1.7 trillion and the national debt nearing $40 trillion, restoring fiscal sustainability should remain a top priority for Congress. But there are more effective and durable ways to improve the nation’s finances, including addressing waste, fraud, and abuse, improving government efficiency, and enacting long-term budget and entitlement reforms. Relying on airline passengers to subsidize unrelated government spending is neither transparent nor consistent with the purpose for which the fee was established.
Roll call votes on H.R. 8770 will be included in NTU’s annual rating of Congress and “YES” votes will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU’s Vice President of Federal Affairs Thomas Aiello at Taiello@ntu.org
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