It seems a few “special” people will not endure the TSA’s controversial new screening techniques.
Cabinet secretaries, top congressional leaders and an exclusive group of senior U.S. officials are exempt from toughened new airport screening procedures when they fly commercially with government-approved federal security details.
While top officials would not name those excluded from the procedure, among those falling under the definition include Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Speaker of the House John Boehner.
The new security procedures, implemented just days before the Thanksgiving rush, have struck a chord with passengers already fed up with corner cutting by airline companies.
While a number of exclusive individuals skip the checkpoints, others, such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, travel almost exclusively on private government airplanes. That includes Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano who oversees the latest implementations.
A number of public officials have come out in support of the latest measures, saying they are necessary in order to confront terrorists. Over the weekend, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would subject herself to the pat-down procedure if she could avoid it.