TSA gets boost in funding, including testing 3D scanners, without fee hike Trump proposed

Bart Jansen | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration gets a spending boost, including money to test 3D scanners at checkpoints, rather than a funding cut with a fee hike that President Trump proposed, under a broad spending bill released Wednesday.

Trump had proposed to raise TSA fees from $5.60 to $6.60 for each connecting flight, to generate about $530 million for the year that began Oct. 1.

But overall, Trump had proposed a $1 billion spending reduction for the agency. His proposed cuts included 1,794 fewer officers at airport exit lanes, a $45 million reduction in grants for local airport security and a reduction in Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams, which patrol the public areas of airports and railroad stations, from 31 to eight.

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Instead, lawmakers who negotiated the $1.3 trillion spending agreement covering most of the government provided $7.9 billion for TSA. A House summary said that was $114 million more than the previous year and a Senate summary said it was $800 million more than Trump requested. No fee hike was included.

Congress is expected to vote on the measure this week.

More bout TSA's budget and spending:

TSA fees up, teams that patrol airports down in Trump budget

TSA chief expects significant investment in technology next year to automate checkpoints

TSA dog teams hunt for explosives, boost security and speed travelers along

TSA rings in New Year screening a record 42 million travelers for the holidays

The bill would keep 1,047 dog teams for $151.8 million and 31 VIPR teams for $43 million.

Bomb-sniffing dogs help reduce long lines at checkpoints because once they have sniffed a line, those passengers can move through expedited Precheck lines. VIPR teams patrol the public areas of airports and railroad stations, which have increasingly become targets for terrorism.

The bill also provides $64 million to accelerate buying and testing computed tomography (CT) scanners at checkpoints and $50 million to reimburse airports for baggage-screening equipment.

Security officials say the CT scanners, which are already being tested at Phoenix and Boston airports, will enhance security because they provide crisper images than standard X-ray and the images can be rotated digitally.