Senator decries new shoes-on security policy at US airports as ‘reckless’

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois Democrat and ranking member of the Senate commerce, science and transportation aviation subcommittee, has written to the TSA demanding it reinstate the shoes-off security protocol at U.S. airports. Nine months ago, the TSA scrapped the nearly two-decade-old requirement that passengers remove their footwear before passing through security scanners. Duckworth contends the policy change creates a "potentially catastrophic security deficiency" and puts passengers at risk, calling the move "reckless" in her letter to the agency. The TSA's decision reversed one of the most visible security measures implemented after the Sept. 11 attacks, part of a broader effort to streamline the passenger screening process. Duckworth's intervention signals congressional skepticism about whether expedited screening should come at the cost of security protocols once deemed essential.