The White House on Friday (May 2) expressed its desire to cut $247 million from the budget of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) while increasing spending on railway and aviation safety. According to the budget proposal for the fiscal year 2026 submitted to Congress on Friday, the White House recommended significant cuts to the TSA’s funding, but at the same time sought an additional $360 million for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to support the hiring and salary increases of air traffic controllers and to update the agency’s outdated telecommunications system.
The White House also called on Congress to provide a new allocation of $400 million to improve railway safety and infrastructure. The reasoning behind this request stems from an accident that occurred in February 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio, where a Norfolk Southern Railway train derailed, causing a hazardous material spill and evacuation orders.
The proposal also seeks to cut funding for the Essential Air Service by $308 million. This service provides subsidies for commercial aviation services at rural airports.
Due to a continued shortage of air traffic controllers, flights at U.S. airports are being delayed, and many air traffic controllers are being forced to work extra hours, six days a week. The current number of air traffic controllers at the FAA falls short of the target by approximately 3,500 people.
During former President Trump’s first term, the White House had proposed to eliminate the Essential Air Service program, but Congress chose to increase funding. The Biden administration has expanded the scale of the TSA, and with the increase in air travel in recent years, the agency now has nearly 60,000 employees. In 2024, the TSA screened a total of 904 million passengers, a 5% increase from 2023, marking a historic high.
However, in the proposal submitted on Friday to reduce the number of TSA officials, the White House pointed out, “TSA has consistently failed audits and implemented intrusive screening measures that violate Americans’ privacy and dignity.” It is currently unclear how many positions the White House hopes to cut.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy plans to request “billions” of dollars from Congress next week to overhaul the air traffic control system in the coming years. The White House’s budget request includes an additional $4 billion in the coming years, including $450 million in 2026, for a multi-year radar replacement program costing billions of dollars.
Last year, President Biden called for an $8 billion allocation from Congress over five years to modernize 377 critical radar systems that are aging and at risk of failure.