Trump and his Republican allies are cutting government everywhere. This one is raising eyebrows.
Because U.S. Senators have announced efforts to entirely shut down this huge government agency.
Republican Senators Push to Dismantle TSA, Cheering Many Americans Tired of Government Overreach
On Thursday, Republican senators unveiled a plan to dismantle the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a move that’s likely to spark applause from countless Americans fed up with bloated federal agencies. Leading the charge are Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who argue the TSA has overstepped its bounds, prying into the lives of travelers while failing to deliver on its core promises.
Sen. Lee didn’t mince words when he spoke to Fox News Digital about the proposal. “The TSA has not only intruded into the privacy and personal space of most Americans, it has also repeatedly failed tests to find weapons and explosives,” he said. “Our bill privatizes security functions at American airports under the eye of an Office of Aviation Security Oversight, bringing this bureaucratic behemoth to a welcome end. American families can travel safely without feeling the hands of an army of federal employees.” For many, this hits the nail on the head—why keep funding an agency that gropes grandma at the gate but can’t spot a bomb in a test?
The legislation lays out a clear timeline: if passed, the TSA would cease to exist three years later, giving airports time to shift security duties to private companies. The bill also tasks the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Transportation with crafting a detailed transition plan to present to Congress. This isn’t a reckless teardown—it’s a structured handover, and that’s a detail likely to resonate with Americans who want efficiency without chaos.
Sen. Tuberville echoed Lee’s frustrations, painting a vivid picture of an agency drowning in its own incompetence. “The TSA is an inefficient, bureaucratic mess that infringes on Americans’ freedoms,” he said. “It’s a bloated agency—riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars—that has led to unnecessary delays, invasive pat downs and bag checks, and frustration for travelers. We need to focus on more efficient and effective methods to protect our country without sacrificing the liberties and freedoms of American citizens. The TSA should be eliminated and replaced with privatized solutions that are more targeted, streamlined, and where appropriate accountable to limited government oversight.”
For the millions of Americans who’ve endured long lines and questionable pat-downs, this sounds like a breath of fresh air—less government waste, more common sense. The bill doesn’t just axe the TSA and call it a day. It sets strict rules for the shift to private security, explicitly barring warrantless searches by private firms and any attempt to prop up the TSA under a new guise.
Once the reorganization plan is ready, Congress gets to weigh in, ensuring lawmakers have a say in how this plays out. To keep things running smoothly, the legislation would establish an Office of Aviation Security Oversight under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), tasked with supervising the privatized screening process. It’s a leaner approach, one that many taxpayers will see as a win over the current sprawling system.
This push comes as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ramps up its mission to trim fat from the executive branch, a cause that’s gained traction among Republicans eager to privatize government functions. Democrats, on the other hand, have largely dug in their heels, preferring to keep agencies like the TSA under federal control. The divide isn’t new, but it’s sharp—Lee and Tuberville’s bill is a gauntlet thrown down in that ongoing tug-of-war.
Will it pass? That’s the big question. Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, a majority but not enough to clear the 60-vote filibuster hurdle, with 47 senators aligned with Democrats. Without some bipartisan buy-in, the measure might stall. Still, the idea of slashing funding for an agency many view as a symbol of government overreach is bound to strike a chord with Americans who’ve long grumbled about TSA’s heavy hand. Even if it doesn’t become law, the bill puts a spotlight on a frustration plenty of travelers share—maybe enough to keep the conversation alive.
More Government Cuts On The Horizon For Trump & Team
Elon Musk, the tech titan tapped by President Donald Trump to streamline the federal government, appeared on Fox News Thursday with a bold promise: his team will slash $1 trillion from the annual budget before his stint ends in as little as 64 days. This ambitious pledge signals a new era of fiscal responsibility under Trump’s leadership, as allies like Musk take aim at the bloated bureaucracy that’s long drained American taxpayers.
Speaking on “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Musk exuded confidence in his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a lean operation tasked with trimming the fat from Washington’s $7 trillion spending spree. “I think we will accomplish most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame,” Musk told Baier, laying out a vision to bring federal outlays down to a more manageable $6 trillion. For Trump supporters, this is music to the ears—a concrete step toward reining in the runaway costs that have burdened the nation for decades.
As the world’s richest man and a designated “special government employee,” Musk is limited to 130 days in his role, meaning his window to deliver could close by late May. But he’s undeterred. “The government is not efficient, and there is a lot of waste and fraud, so we feel confident that a 15% reduction can be done without affecting any of the critical government services,” he said. This isn’t just talk—DOGE has already claimed $115 billion in savings as of March 24 through smart moves like workforce cuts, asset sales, and axing wasteful contracts. For Trump’s base, it’s proof that the private-sector ingenuity Musk brings to the table is exactly what’s needed to fix a government mired in inefficiency.
Musk isn’t alone in this fight. He was flanked in the interview by seven DOGE heavyweights, including Steve Davis of the Boring Company and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia—sharp minds committed to making government work for the people, not against them. Their mission is urgent. “Unless this exercise is successful, the ship of America will sink. That’s why we’re doing it,” Musk warned, a sentiment that resonates with Trump’s call to drain the swamp and save the nation from fiscal ruin.
Critics, of course, are quick to nitpick. They point to errors on DOGE’s website and claim the $1 trillion target can’t be hit without touching sacred cows like Social Security—something President Trump has fiercely promised to protect. But these naysayers miss the point. Musk’s track record at Tesla and SpaceX shows he thrives on defying skeptics, and his early wins at DOGE suggest he’s already finding billions in savings without breaking Trump’s pledge. The $115 billion figure may not be perfect, but it’s a start—and a sign that Trump’s trust in Musk is paying off.
The backlash from the left only proves how much this effort rattles the establishment. Tesla dealerships have faced vandalism and protests, a petty response to Musk’s push to dismantle their cushy government gravy train. For Trump allies, it’s a badge of honor—evidence that Musk is striking at the heart of the waste and fraud that’s plagued Washington for too long.
