Tracing the tax that's supposed to fund TSA

The diversion of airline passenger security fees to the general federal fund has left TSA workers without pay during government shutdowns, despite travelers continuing to pay for these services. Originally designed as a hypothecated tax to directly fund the TSA, a 2013 bipartisan law shifted a significant portion of these revenues toward reducing the federal deficit while doubling the fee for passengers. This breakdown in the link between revenue and expenditure forces federal employees like Angela Grana to live paycheck to paycheck, facing long-term financial damage such as ruined credit and childcare loss. The resulting instability has triggered a mass exodus of seasoned officers, creating security vulnerabilities as airports rely on charitable donations to support unpaid staff. This systemic funding failure illustrates the economic risks of decoupling earmarked taxes from their intended programs, ultimately compromising both worker welfare and national aviation security.