Iowa Rep. Hinson targets lawmakers’ airport privileges during shutdown

A new House bill would ensure members of Congress feel the pain of the ongoing partial government shutdown like many Americans across the country.

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is introducing the End Congressional Special Treatment at Airports Act, the House counterpart to legislation that passed the Senate last week.

Hinson argued that members of Congress should be held to the same standards as their constituents during the airport funding stalemate, even though lawmakers generally have the right to expedited screening and security escorts to bypass lines.

“Thanks to Democrats’ political games, TSA agents are working for free and many American families are facing 4+ hour wait times at airports during spring break,” Hinson told Fox News Digital.

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“Some Members of Congress are avoiding the chaos they are creating by getting preferential treatment and skipping lines at airports,” he added. “The bill with Senator John Cornyn would eliminate those advantages and force them to face the consequences of inaction.”

Iowa Republicans’ bill would ban taxpayer dollars from being used to give lawmakers special treatment and require them to undergo the same security screenings as ordinary Americans. The measure would ensure restrictions on lawmakers continue even after DHS funding is restored.

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The bill’s introduction comes as the 38-day shutdown, the second-largest in U.S. history, continues to hurt U.S. travelers across the country due to staffing shortages at airports.

This Friday will mark the second full pay period in which Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents will miss paychecks, causing thousands to quit their jobs to make ends meet.

More than 400 TSA agents have walked off the job since the shutdown began Feb. 14, the department said last week.

Major airport systems across the country, from Houston to New York, reported hours-long wait times in security lines on Monday. The spring break travel season appears to have worsened staffing constraints at airports.

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is proposing legislation that would ban lawmakers from receiving special treatment at airports during the shutdown. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Hinson’s bill is likely to have broad support in the House, but it’s unclear when it will get a floor vote.

“I am grateful to Congresswoman Hinson for joining my effort to restore fair practices for all airport travelers by introducing companion legislation to the House, and I urge other Members to support our mission to stop this unfair advantage,” Cornyn said in a statement. he said.

The Senate unanimously approved the Texas Republicans’ bill last Thursday.

The TSA has paused MP escorts since the start of the funding cut. But members of Congress may still be receiving special assistance at airports from other organizations.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, led the passage of similar legislation in the Senate last week. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

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Although DHS talks have picked up in recent days, the dispute over funding still may not reach a resolution this week.

Democrats have largely refused to support a full-year DHS spending bill because the party demands reforms to immigration enforcement. Republicans, by contrast, have opposed Democratic-led efforts to fund certain subunits of DHS while leaving the department’s immigration and border security functions unfunded.

Hinson is running for the open Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. It is backed by President Donald Trump and the campaign arm of Senate Republicans.