A Democratic congressional nominee in New York says her “hot take” is to abolish TSA PreCheck and ultimately nationalize the airline industry. What an efficient politicians: two bad ideas in one soundbite…

Democratic Socialist Congressional Nominee Wants To Abolish TSA PreCheck And Nationalize Airlines

Claire Valdez, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 7th Congressional District, has thoughts about air travel. Unfortunately, they are not very good ones. Valdez, a Democratic Socialists of America member backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, recently offered what she called a “hot take” on flying:

“My hot take is we need to abolish PreCheck. I’ve got like a million beefs with the airline industry and the process of having to fly. We need to, like, nationalize the airline industry, but let’s start by abolishing PreCheck.”

There is a lot packed into that short clip, none of it reassuring (I’ve queued this up to the moment):

Abolishing TSA PreCheck Makes No Sense

Let’s start with TSA PreCheck.

TSA PreCheck is hardly a perfect program. Airport security in the United States remains a clunky, joyless experience, and even PreCheck lines can be long at peak times. But the concept behind PreCheck is sound: prescreen lower-risk passengers, move them through a more efficient process, and allow TSA to focus more attention on unknown or higher-risk travelers.

That is not some sinister capitalist plot. No dear, it is basic risk management.

Abolishing PreCheck would not make airport security more equal in any meaningful way. It would just make the experience worse for everyone. Longer lines, more congestion, less differentiation between prescreened and unknown travelers, and no obvious security benefit.

If the argument is that PreCheck should be expanded, made cheaper, or even made free for more travelers, fine. That is a real discussion that I support. But abolishing it because some people have access to a faster line is the sort of performative egalitarianism that lacks any real awareness of what injustice is.

We should not make government services worse just so everyone can be equally miserable…

Nationalizing Airlines Is An Even Worse Idea

Then there is the suggestion that the United States should nationalize the airline industry.

I understand the frustration. Air travel is often unpleasant. Seats are tight. Fees are annoying. Delays are common. Airlines do sometimes treat customers poorly and then hide behind contracts of carriage, weather, or “operational constraints” and fail to make passengers whole.

But nationalizing airlines would not magically fix that.

Before deregulation, the federal government heavily controlled fares and routes. Flying was far more expensive in real terms and far less accessible to ordinary Americans. Deregulation did not solve every problem, but it helped make air travel available to far more people. That matters, especially for a pol who give lip service to her support for the poor.

A government-run airline industry would most certainly mean more bureaucracy, less pricing flexibility, political interference in route decisions, and even less accountability when things go wrong. Anyone who has dealt with federal bureaucracy and thought, “Yes, this is exactly how I want my airline run,” is welcome to make the case. I remain unconvinced and I spent years working in both local and federal government.

There are reasonable arguments for stronger passenger protections…I’m all for EU261/2004 coverage in this country…but nationalization is not consumer protection. It is a misguided policy proposal that shows me how stupid Valdez is.

Democrats Should Be Careful With This Kind Of Politics

I’ll just leave it at this: if Democrats believe this sort of thing represents the future of the party, then they have learned very little from the Trump wing of the GOP. Different ideology, same problem: politics reduced to grievance, applause lines, and proposals that sound emotionally satisfying until you spend 30 seconds thinking about how they would work.

The answer to bad populism on the right is not bad populism on the left.

And yes, Valdez is running in a deep-blue district: she may never have to persuade a swing voter in her life. But members of Congress do not exist in a vacuum. Their statements become part of a national brand, and Republicans will be more than happy to run clips like this in every competitive district in America.

“Abolish TSA PreCheck and nationalize the airlines” is not exactly a message built for voters who just want government to work better and cost less.

CONCLUSION

Claire Valdez says she wants to abolish TSA PreCheck and eventually nationalize the airline industry.

That may play well in certain political circles, but as transportation policy it is unserious. TSA PreCheck should be improved and expanded, not abolished. Airlines should be held more accountable, not turned into federal departments.

Air travel has plenty of problems. Making it more bureaucratic, more politicized, and more miserable is not the answer.

image: Justice Democrats

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