When will this change?

The FY 2024 President's Budget allocated $11.2 billion for TSA, representing an increase of $1.6 billion over FY 20231. This funding supports:

• 61,222 positions and 57,606 full-time equivalents
• A 5.2% pay raise for TSA workforce ($251 million)
• $39 million for security equipment maintenance
• $29.3 million for research and development activities1

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has demonstrated significant challenges in detecting prohibited items during undercover testing operations. In 2015, TSA agents failed to detect weapons and contraband in 67 out of 70 tests conducted by Department of Homeland Security "Red Teams," resulting in a 95% failure rate3.

Recent Performance

A 2017 follow-up investigation showed that while there was some improvement from the 2015 results, TSA screeners, equipment, and procedures still failed more than half the time in detecting weapons and explosives during undercover operations2. When asked if the failure rate was around 80%, sources familiar with the classified report confirmed this estimate2.