WASHINGTON (June 7, 2016)- U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement in support of H.R. 5338, the Checkpoint Optimization and Efficiency Act of 2016, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives today:

"This well-timed legislation takes a smart, common-sense approach to reducing airport security wait times by ensuring that all TSA checkpoints are properly staffed. We heartily thank Congressman John Katko and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul for recognizing this need, and for expediting an intelligent solution in the form of this bill.

"As we have stated previously, many of the proposals included in H.R. 5338 align well with the steps the Department of Homeland Security has announced to better allocate staffing to address the wait time issue. We are especially pleased by measures requiring TSA to share its staffing models with airports and airlines, and directing the agency to strategically assign administrative personnel and other appropriate staffers to non-security functions.

"There is evidence that the initial scare over untenable security wait times generated mass corrective action, and that the situation has already improved thanks to modifications by the TSA and travelers adjusting their own behavior. But it's critical that we not find ourselves in that situation again; a study released by my organization found that heavy publicity of long lines at the airport was set to ground one in five would-be flyers, leading to a $4.3 billion loss in travel spending this summer. Along with the staffing solutions announced by DHS, congressional appropriations committees have rightfully supported steering resources to fund additional TSA officers. Rep Katko's bill is a smart piece of legislation that we hope will advance in tandem with these existing measures to improve TSA wait times."