Hey there, folks. It is Sunday, February twenty second, and I sure as hell hope you are not heading to the airport today. You are going to be waking up to some really disturbing news. The Trump administration, blaming the shutdown, has now made a move that could potentially cause chaos at airports. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. I hated to even give you this news when you woke up this morning, but overnight
we did get work. TSA pre check is being suspended as of this morning.
You said it was going to be potentially disruptive.
I'm going to take that a.
Step further and say it's almost assuredly going to be chaos at the airports, because yes, they have shut down temporarily TSA pre check, but also global entry. So if you're coming into the United States, say you went off on a European vacation this week, it's winter break for a lot of students, you're coming back in. You think you're gonna just breeze through global entry. Nope, you're gonna be stuck in line for an hour or so.
With the rest of US, and most Americans, though listening roades. Global entry is fine, but you got twenty million plus Americans. This program is for folks who fly regularly, and you want to zip through that frickin' line. Well, all you twenty plus million who are part of TSA PreCheck are about to get dumped into the same line as everybody else. And oh yeah, all of you non frequent travelers who are in the regular line, you're about to get twenty
million people in the line. That's for you. Okay, Robes, how's this gonna go?
Everyone's going to be upset. And you make a really good point. It's not just people who are used to getting TSA PreCheck and used to going through quickly. They don't have to take their shoes off, they don't have to take their laptops out, and you just know you plan your time when you head to the airport based on the fact that.
You know you have TSA PreCheck.
You know you can erase at least thirty minutes off of your prep time, give or take. But now all you folks who know you're going to be waiting in that line, consider that line doubled at this point at least, So now everybody is going to have to expect really long lines to get through security. I'm just saying, and that is a nightmare for everybody.
But the other nightmare part of the robes, we didn't get a heads up. It's Sunday. Everybody's waking up the first time they find out about this is some folks are going to be the sound of our voices. This was put out late yesterday. It's thrown everybody off and just boom today. We would change our travel robes and might even cancel some unnecessary travel if we had known about TSA pre check being it's just gonna be chaos.
Oh my goodness. You know what airport I'm thinking of? Atlanta?
You know, christ.
Crazy Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is. And I am always amazed even with TSA pre check, And now we've got this face, like this touchless id thing that you can even get into a.
Super sonic speed of a line.
Those lines that Atlanta Hartsfield are still horrifically long. I was just thinking that that airport in particular jumped into my head.
Okay, so they make the announcement yesterday. This is a now official, the Homeland Security Department suspending the TSA PreCheck program, making the announcement late yesterday, giving us all very little time to make any type of travel adjustments. Yes, Global Entry suspend it as well as a part of this. Now they say, Ropes, they're having to do this because
of the shutdown. Now, we were told, or under the impression most of us, that this would be not as impactful, if you will, of a shutdown on the rest of the wider population, because this was targeted and specific had to do with DHS funding. Specifically DHS funding that Democrats were opposing because DHS has ICE under it. We've seen what's been happening in Minneapolis. So Democrats like, hell no, there needs to be ICE reforms in order for us
to approve this funding moving forward. Didn't get it done. They said they got the rest of the budget done. But here we are, we're still fighting over DHS and now there is a partial shutdown started on February fourteenth. Now robes the reason we thought this was going to be limited, just because it wasn't supposed to impact necessarily Americans. It was supposed to impact, unfortunately, some of these workers who are going without pay, but operations were supposed to continue.
This Now Robes is being viewed as everyone as a tactic, and we are now being punished because we starting today are going to get pissed about what's happening in DC and are we gonna blame Democrats or Republicans? That is Look, I'm not being cynical. I think this is fair Robes. If you're looking at this to go, why the hell are they doing this to us right now?
One hundred percent the American people, We, the American people, the American travelers are political pawns in this game of chicken and who is to blame? And yes, it is deliberate.
They are forcing almost our.
Emotions into the narrative to try and convince lawmakers to cave.
That is absolutely what's happening.
Because if you get enough pissed off constituents writing your office saying make the deal, figure it out, this is bs you are affecting my business, my ability. So many people, yes, travel for fun and pleasure, and that's annoying enough, but when you're a business traveler, as you and I were for many many years.
I was in an.
Airport and so were you, I believe probably twice a week, it is so impactful. If you now add hours and hours to the planning and prep of all of that just to conduct business, just to.
Do your job.
Not to mention the PORTSA workers who are working without a paycheck right now.
Everybody's pissed, so so Robes, that was one of my first You and I traveled quite a bit during the shutdown, the last one forty three days, right the records shutdown. It was tended TSA. It was they went a month and a half almost without paychecks. They got the payback later, but Robes, they were calling out sick, and a lot of folks were not because I'm making a stand. They were trying to make money somewhere else, right, they were trying to do These folks were on edge. So what
do you have now? A TSA worker not getting paid, who's going up against a traveler this morning who didn't get word that TSA PreCheck is shut down everybody at the airport. Robes, you're now creating a more explosive situation than an airport that quite frankly, most of them aren't pleasant happy utopias anyway. Now you're throwing this into it.
I actually cannot even imagine the scenes at airports this morning and the days that are going to follow, and I think especially this morning, because people have been taken by surprise. This is is, it's something that we even thought was a possibility. It's never been even floated out there.
I don't ask you that I never heard.
I was going to ask you if I missed the why because more TSA workers are calling out sick because they want to concentrate everybody in just a fewer more painful lines instead of spreading everybody out and getting people through quicker. I don't understand the explanation behind why they needed to stop the program. I can understand maybe they don't have the people to to to actually process applications. Okay,
I can maybe get my head around that. But at the actual airport, for people who have already been vetted, who have already gone through the process, who already have that TSA pre check check mark.
Why then could you why would you need to not have those lines.
Operating because quote, we are prioritizing the general traveling population. That is the word from Christinome saying they need to make this move because they're prioritize their folks. Now, of course last shutdown, they didn't decide to do this, but they're doing this. Now we're a week, right, We're a week into this shutdown, this partial shutdown. This is the
statement from Homeland Security. Quote. Shutdowns have serious real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security. The American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians probes. When you get past the initial shock of it and the frustration of it, it goes to anger.
This is this is robes, this is base, this is one oh. One of the job of Congress is to pass budgets and to keep the government running. There are very few things that the government does that we can see and are impacted in a practical way every day. One of those ways is what happens to us at the airport. And you're telling me this thing, this thing
you're taking away. You are intentionally making our lives harder because you won't do your job one and then after you don't do it, you implement these tactics to make it harder on us. So you can get what you want in DC, Roges, this is anger now.
Harder on us, so you can get what you want in DC.
And yet the first line is we're prioritizing the general traveling population that's gaslighting one on one. They're not prioritizing the American traveling population.
You know, me, Robes, I'm trying to leave some room and not knowing what's in their hearts and their heads. And they have information that we don't have that suggests to them that this is a necessary step. That's just a tall order for us to believe, given all that's taken place, and it's not just us, it's airlines. You could expect Democrats to say certain things, but some of it makes sense. There are some pretty heavy start statements that are floating around out there, in particular from one
Congressman who has now called the Republicans nim Witz. In all this, Nitwitz, I should say, nit Wits, I want to get that right. We'll tell you who said that and what he's talking about. Will tell you. The Homeland Security Department to bar mahome Land Security, the Democrats, or at least the committee that oversees Homeland Security, they put out a statement, but the big one you do not want to miss is the one that was put out
by the airlines themselves. Stay here, all right, we continue here on Amy and teacher, what exactly is a nitwit? So we should bring that back. It seems almost kid like it's an insult, but it doesn't seem so hard.
It seems it seems like an insult from nineteen twenty eight. It's like something that people would say in the Gilded Age. Oh no, it doesn't seem like a common modern way to throw an insult at someone.
Rose. Of course, the way we've been insulting, I say we, but politicians even have been insulting each other lately. Nitwit seemed like a relief to have that one. But nitwit is the word being used to talk about some of the decisions being made by the Trump administration now suspending the TSA pre check program robes. I believe most people are familiar with this. But yes, you sign up for it. We haven't done it in a long time. I can't remember how long it takes, but it's not that long. They
do a background check on your or whatever. You get this TSA pre check number, And now when you go to the airport there's a separate line. You don't have to take off your shoes, and it's just a faster process.
Yeah, the big dealers.
You get fingerprinted, so you go through a series of steps that most people you would never have to go through at the airport, but you do it ahead of time and it actually doesn't take that long. You do have to go into a staples or do some sort of an interview. They have places set up up throughout the country. And yes, it's about fingerprinting. It's about just having someone see you physically check your documents.
Your passport, your real ID and all of that.
And then yes, you now have an expedited process for the airport, which is significantly helpful if you are a frequent traveler like we are, and so many people are, again not just for pleasure, but for work. This is a part of going to the office in a sense for a lot of folks is traveling. And so yes, when you can take those extra steps and know, man, I know the worst case scenario. I got a fifteen minute line versus an hour and a half line, which
can happen. So it just completely upends the entire process when you realize you aren't going to have access to that. But I also just want to go back to that Christine un statement about prioritizing the general traveling population. By throwing all the TSA pre check folks into the general traveling population, you are not prioritizing anyone.
That's why.
That's when politicians make statements that you know are are in the absolute opposite spirit of what the actuality is. That is why people can't stand politicians, because you know, I know when I'm being told something that is true, and then you sit there and you say it with a smile on your face and I'm supposed to trust you.
That's really, really, really hard.
I just feel like trust was never great between politicians and their constituents, but it's.
At an all time high in terms of distrust at this point.
I didn't like that part of her statement, and again you brought I don't think I was going to bring it up, but since you went back to it, I'll say it. It felt like you're once again pitting Americans against each other. There were some language they use. It almost sound like TSA pre check. These are some elites, these are some special people. We're taking care of you,
the little people. We're prioritizing the general population. That was something that seemed divisive even Yeah that I read, and I wasn't going to say that you seem to catch the same thing. I kind of called it.
I didn't like, no more special treatment for those pre check people in that other line that you always can't stand when you look over and see them moving so quickly, you know them, Yeah, they're now stuck in the line too.
It came across that wait to me. And again, I'm not who knows what's in somebody's heart, right, robes, I always got to leave room for that. But my god, we've seen this story before, it seems. But Representative Benny Thompson were talking about Democrat out of Mississippi. He was the one that used the line, and think he made it to CBS. He said, these nit wits are at it again, punishing the American people and using them as political pawns for their sadistic political games. Sadistic that's the
hell of a word. Robes. But it just feels like that. And this is all a matter of what robes. They didn't do the most basic of their jobs, which is too fun to the government. This is your job to do it. On time, so we all don't shut the fuck down again. And here is partial everybody. We weren't worried about this one. This will be limited and they'll figure something out. They gave themselves a little time, even if it's been a week now and they've dropped the hammer on the American public.
By Oh, it's unbelievable when you put it that way. This is them failing to do their jobs once again, and once again.
Who pays for it? Everybody but them.
Benny Thompson, we talked about there is on the committee. They did put out a statement on Twitter. I mean, there's gonna be more of this. I bet a lot of members of Congress went to bed last night not knowing, Oh this was happening.
Yeah, like us right, So yes, the Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee said Trump's DHS is punishing travelers. TSA pre check and global entry reduced lines and ease the burden on DHS staff. But Christy Nome and her confident Corey Lewandowski are knee capping or is that confidant, Corey Lewandowski are knee capping the programs that make travels smoother and secure. They are ruining your travel on purpose?
On purpose? Who's gonna get blamed for that? Travelers are not. If you're pissed today, are you really gonna be in line going wow? I can't believe those Democrats did this. You're gonna say wow. Christy Nolan put out a statement that shut this down?
Why exactly?
And I do think when you start to do I don't know how many people do enough of a dive, but to recognize, if you look at the polling, most Americans were against the ice tactics used in Minneapolis that led to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex pretty Given those numbers, now apply it to this current.
Situation, that is a big, big, big bet.
If the Republicans, if Christy Nome, if the administration did do this to apply more pressure on Democrats, that that was a risky move in terms of where the American anger is going to be directed towards.
This will get a deal done? How long you give it? Oh yeah, throw into the Travel was already about to be a mess. We got a goddamn northeaster coming here to New York. Travel is going to be crazy in the Northeast anyway next two days. Now you want to throw this in there.
Who I hadn't thought about that, babe, Oh my goodness. And people are coming back from their February break today Christ the winter break, just winter break.
At least in the Northeast.
I don't know if that's for most of the country, but in the Northeast, our kids get a winter break. Everyone comes back today on Sunday, and we've got a nor'easter coming and now.
No DSA pre check, no global injury. Oh my goodness.
So they might think this is a brilliant move to hit Americans now and we'll get a deal done. Hit them where it really is going to hurt them. Do Is this not crazy? Folks are going to go through hell at airports today because of what happened in Minneapolis. This is where we are. That's the reason they are fighting DHS funding is because Nope, all that we saw in Minneapolis, we are not going to let that happen.
Ice has to be reformed. All the what we watched was has an impact now on every has an impact on the country. But I'm saying a real thing that's crazy.
When you think about it like that, it really simplifies things. So you can hear all the rhetoric you want from politicians, but it comes down.
To that, and the airlines have released to stagement. Oh shit, yeah, all right, this is actually an amazing station.
Yes, this is great, and these are this is their trade organization, the Airlines for America. Yees, so even though you probably haven't heard of it, they are the trade group and every major airline is a part of this group.
Yes, here's their statement. Airlines for America, this is great. Is deeply concerned that TSA pre check and Global Entry programs are being suspended and that the traveling public will be once again used as a political football amid another government shutdown. The announcement was issued with extremely short notice to travelers, giving them little time to plan accordingly, which is especially troubling at this time of record air travel.
During last fall's forty three days shut down, the longest in US history, more than nine thousand flights were delayed or canceled, significantly impacting six million travelers and countless deliveries in some That shutdown costs six point one billion dollars of loss across the travel industry and related sectors. It's pastime for Congress to get to the table and get a deal done that insureans TSA can fully operate and their frontline employees can be paid for the important work
they do to keep our skies secure. You know, they make such a good point. Think about all the industries that are impacted when travel is impacted.
This.
Yes, this is inconvenient and frustrating for a lot of travelers, but this is financially devastating for so many people in that industry.
And the most this is the most effed up part. This is the most effed up part. We'll wrap on this, folks. All this, we're doing, all this, they're fighting over right. They want to make sure that ICE is reformed. This is what Democrats want to do. Ice has to be reformed, and we are so willing, so willing to make sure it happens that we will shut down the government over this. And people are losing paycheck and all this impact.
You know who's still getting the check, Every single congressman and woman who is not going to the table to make a deal.
That is true, every Ice agent, ladies and gentlemen. This fight to take funding from ICE is pointless. Because of Trump's big beautiful bill. They slid in funding for dhs that goes through like twenty twenty seven.
You've got to be kidding me.
Rose, no Ice agent, no ICE operation is being impacted a single bit because of this. They got funding, They have money sitting there that continues to fund them. So this fight is over, potentially defunding ICE a year from now.
I did not know that.
Yes, and a lot of people probably don't. ICE is being fully funded through all of this, and they will continue to do so. I actually think it's through twenty twenty seven.
Wow. Okay, just when I thought I was angry, you thought you right now.
I'm hot, folks. Good luck today. Look we are our tone. Probably we are hot about this one. And we don't even have travel coming up for a month.
Thank god, we just finished it.
Although I did laugh.
Like my twenty three year old, I convinced her to get and she was put fighting back, fighting back, but she was always annoying. She couldn't go through TSA PreCheck. Right, she finally got it. She's about to fly out this week for the first time with her.
New TSA PREA check happening.
What day is she leaving?
Friday?
Okay, maybe they'll get it worked out.
Rather, I just thought about that I was like, oh man, she's gonna throw this back at me.
Mom.
You were on me for years to get tsa pre check. I finally get it, and boom, I'm in the regular.
Yeah. Your poor mom, she's an idiot for thinking that Congress might actually fund Yeah, you're right, you're right, David. That was dumb with your mom to think that maybe things would work. Folks. Good luck out there today. Good luck with the weather. The northeaster is coming. We got a rough couple of days in the northeast. Uh really down? How far south is this thing going on the eastern seaboard here?
But twenty inches they say is going to be a mess?
Is a mess at airports with folks, whatever you're doing, you know what, take care of yourself, take care of each other, Hug him tight, and try to find a way to find joy with the Olympics. Maybe even enjoy the ride.
It's not Yes, it's the journey, not the destination. Even when it's a little longer than you thought it was going to be, You're.
Not getting to your destination, all right, folks. We always appreciate you spending time with us. DJ Holmes on behalf of my dear Amy Roebuck talk to y Elson