In this edition of TPO Explains, we break down the TSA, explaining why it was created after 9/11, how airport security rules evolved, and the ongoing debate over its role today.
March 28, 2026
What is TSA, and why does it exist?
TSA—the Transportation Security Administration—didn’t exist pre-9/11. Before the attacks, private contractors handled screening; no photo ID was required, and loved ones could give you a goodbye hug at the gate.
Then, 68 days after 9/11, Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, handing airport security over to the federal government. (Visualize the layers of airport security here.)
Why is it not privatized?
It’s a current debate. Supporters of privatization argue it brings more efficiency; critics counter that contracts go to the lowest bidder.
About two dozen airports opt out of TSA-run screening through the Screening Partnership Program—including San Francisco and Kansas City.
Just last year, Senate Republicans introduced the “Abolish the TSA Act,” so the conversation is ongoing.
What’s up with the tiny liquid rules?
In 2006, intelligence revealed a plot to detonate liquid explosives on transatlantic flights. TSA initially banned all liquids from carry-ons, then settled on a now-familiar limit: 3.4 oz (AKA the international standard 100 mL) or less in a single, clear, resealable quart-sized bag. That’s been the rule ever since.
Why’d we use to have to take our shoes off? Why not anymore?
In December 2001, a passenger tried to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami. The shoes-off policy became standard in 2006 and lasted for nearly 20 years. DHS ended the requirement last summer, as screening tech has leveled up enough to make it unnecessary. (See airport security then vs. now.)
What happens when someone brings contraband?
This happens more often than you’d think. In 2024, TSA intercepted 6,678 firearms at checkpoints—about 18 per day—and 94% were loaded.
But it’s not TSA that confiscates them; local law enforcement steps in. Passengers can face fines of up to $15,000 and lose PreCheck status for five years.
Other (begrudgingly) surrendered items—your oversized shampoo and trusty pocketknife—get boxed up and auctioned through state surplus stores.
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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
While government agencies and regulations change over the years, God’s reign never does. Put your hope in the Eternal King, whose commands and judgments are always just, and who never makes us wait in line to come to Him.
“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for judgment. And he judges the world with righteousness; he executes judgment on the nations with fairness. The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord.”
Psalm 9:7–10 (CSB) (read full passage)
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