The TSA was created by the Airport Security Federalization Act of 2001.
In the House, Republicans supported the act, 212 for, 2 against, while Democrats voted 72 for, 136 against.
The bill was passed 100 to 0 in the Senate.
The Act was to bring all airports under some uniform Federally established level of security --- a level that SHOULD have been achieved under the previous Clinton Administrations, but typical of those administrations was ignored...
The vote reflects the overwhelming DEMAND by the public that airport security address the threat, while the Democrats made just as much noise over THEIR demand that the screeners be Federal Employees and thus Democrat funding Union Dues paying plantation hands..
Every politician I can remember speaking the famous line "Federalize to Professionalize" was a DEMOCRAT..
Only the self serving elitist Democrats would be ignorant enough to believe the only professionals in America are Federal Employees..
I believe the Act also provided that after 3 Years -- the airports could PRIVATIZE the screeners......as a false compromise by the Democrats to the Republicans. Of course this will never happen..
The whole scenario is another example of the Republicans being the Stupid party and the Democrats being more concerned with political power than the long term security of the nation..
Semper Fi