The U.S. Government Is Using Airline Security Fees to Fill Budget Gaps
Skift Take
The attitude in Congress seems to be: Hey, lets solve the budget impasses by taxing travelers some more. After all, they aren't organized, and we can sneak these new taxes through. But if air travel is a stimulator of the economy, then Congress may be shooting itself in the foot.
After a couple of years of Congressional partisan impotence, sequestration, and a federal government shutdown, U.S. airline passengers have done the seemingly impossible: They played a major role in breaking through the gridlock in Washington and getting a compromise budget deal passed.
The only hitches, though, are that airline passengers accomplished this herculean feat unwittingly, and they'll end up paying for it.
A lot.
Pundits are hailing the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, forged by Republican Paul Ryan and Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat and bridge builder respected on both sides of the Congressional aisle. The budget passed the Republican-controlled House o
