Prominent Republicans Are Having Airport Meltdowns Made Possible By Their Own Legislation

It started with Marco Rubio, Florida senator and failed Republican presidential candidate. Before launching into a rant against the political media, tweeted a rather petulant critique of airline in-flight amenities on Monday:

Why do airlines use 767 with layflat seats for 40 min flight to Orlando but smaller plane with seats that barely recline for redeye from LA?

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 16, 2016

For at least some of that in-flight discomfort, Rubio can blame himself: He and his Republican colleagues in the Senate voted down a proposal to regulate legroom and pitch (the space between seats) in April.

Yesterday, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich joined the fray with an even more puzzling rant about the Transportation Security Administration (TSA):

I have a day trip to Atlanta tomorrow and just received Delta warning tsa could take 2-3 hours.Sanders socialist bureaucracy fails again.

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) May 18, 2016

There’s a lot happening here. First, Gingrich is the laying blame for an organizational failure at the feet of a man who isn’t in the White House yet, and isn’t likely to get there anytime soon. Second, the TSA was created as part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, drafted in direct response to the September 11th attacks, and signed into law by Republican president George W. Bush.

Oversight of the TSA was later transferred to the Department of Homeland Security by way of the Homeland Security Act, which Sanders voted against.

.@newtgingrich Do facts even matter? Strict TSA regs came from the Homeland Sec. Act of '02; Sanders voted against it, you were for it.

— Alex H. Kasprak (@alexkasprak) May 18, 2016

@newtgingrich you built that

— Game: Blouses (@knck1es) May 18, 2016

In any event, it seems Gingrich ultimately got where he needed to go:

TSA pre worked perfectly at Reagan this morning.took less than five minutes. On to Atlanta.

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) May 18, 2016

Thanks for nothing, Bernie.