Democrats demand that the TSA address the issue of weapons at airports after Madison Cawthorn was caught attempting to smuggle one on board an aircraft.
After Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn was arrested attempting to smuggle a pistol on an airline, the Democratic chairmen of two major committees wrote to the Transportation Security Administration to inquire about its intentions to address weapons on planes.
Representatives Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, chairperson of the Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee, wrote a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
According to WSOC9, the letter particularly mentioned how Mr. Cawthorn, the controversial North Carolina Congressman, was recently cited for having a 9mm pistol at Charlotte-Douglas Airport. Mr. Cawthorn was caught with a pistol at an airport for the second time, after attempting to transport a gun on his carry-on luggage at Asheville’s regional airport.
“Two incidences in such a short period of time should raise our collective concern about recurring firearm violations.” As a result, we ask the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to take prompt action to guarantee those repeat violators, such as Rep. Cawthorn, face the full scope of TSA enforcement proceedings,” Mr. Thompson and Ms. Coleman said in a letter.
They were particularly concerned about the TSA seeing roughly 6,000 firearms at checkpoints in 2021, more than double the number in 2019. According to The Trace, gun ownership increased during the Covid-19 epidemic.
“Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle believe that those who flout the law and threaten the safety of other passengers—particularly repeat offenders like Rep. Cawthorn—must face consequences,” they stated.
Many Democrats and some Republicans have begun to oppose the freshman Republican congressman. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy chastised him when he mentioned Republican members of Congress having orgies and using cocaine, despite the fact that North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis endorsed one of his primary opponents.
The primary election in North Carolina will be held on May 17th.
