The Transportation Security Administration is looking at over $300 million in budget cuts between now and 2020.
The proposed cuts, first reported by CNN, include fewer full-time air marshals, employee cuts at TSA headquarters and benefit cuts for new part-time employees as well as fewer reimbursements to airports for cleaning services and to law enforcement agencies for use of K-9 units.
These cuts, as with any and all TSA budget matters, need to first be approved by Congress.
TSA responded to reports in a release on Friday, noting that the budget is still in development.
The news comes on the heels of a troubling news-cycle for the TSA.
First, the public learned new details regarding their longstanding "Quiet Skies" program -potentially amounting to a secret watchlist for the skies. Later in the week, news broke about the potential limiting of TSA security at any airport without planes carrying over 60 passengers-another move driven by budgetary concerns.
As the TSA continues to try to do more with less, air travel numbers continue to rise. The organization reported record traffic over the winter holiday season to begin 2018 and then again over the Fourth of July holiday.
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