Senator Calls TSA 'Shoes-On' Policy a 'Reckless Act'

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is calling on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to do away with its new "shoes-on" policy in the wake of a classified watchdog report that found it could present potential threats to air travel.

TSA eliminated its controversial "shoes-off" policy last summer in an effort to streamline the security screening process, arguing that technological advancements made over the previous two decades rendered it a needless step.

However, the aforementioned report developed after a classified inspector general audit deployed "red team" testing at various U.S. airport checkpoints uncovered "serious vulnerabilities."

In a letter to acting TSA Administrator Nguyen McNeill obtained exclusively by CBS News, the Illinois Democrat called the decision to keep the new policy in place after receiving the watchdog's findings a "reckless act."

"Allowing a potentially catastrophic security deficiency to remain in place for seven months and counting betrays TSA's mission," Duckworth wrote. "At a minimum, TSA's failure to swiftly implement corrective action warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary [Kristi] Noem's reckless and dangerous policy that increases the risk of a terrorist smuggling a dangerous item onto a flight."

She warns that the agency's silence on the issue and failure to meet a 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions may violate federal law.

"Such inaction violates Federal law, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and DHS's own directives," according to the lawmaker.

The letter is critical of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has since been replaced by Markwayne Mullin.

Duckworth's demand for change comes at a time when many travelers are already facing longer wait times at TSA checkpoints nationwide as workers just begin to receive paychecks amid the partial government shutdown.

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