BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Mounting problems in the nation’s aviation system — from a deadly runway crash to long TSA lines — are taking center stage in this week’s Lehigh Valley Political Pulse, as host Tom Shortell sits down with Muhlenberg College political scientist Chris Borick.
The episode examines how a partial funding standoff in Washington is contributing to delays at airport security checkpoints, with TSA staffing strained as the Department of Homeland Security remains caught in a broader political fight.
Borick said a typically bipartisan priority has become entangled in partisan negotiations over immigration policy.
“Something that should be enormously bipartisan gets trapped in the hyper-partisan world we live in,” he said.
Shortell and Borick also discuss President Donald Trump’s push to attach a voter ID measure to the funding deal, a strategy Borick described as consistent with the president’s approach to negotiations, but one that could make a resolution more difficult.
The conversation also touches on the administration’s decision to deploy ICE agents to help at airport checkpoints — a move that Borick said may carry more political and symbolic impact than practical benefit.
Beyond the immediate disruptions, the episode looks at deeper, long-term challenges, including a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers and years of underinvestment in aviation infrastructure — issues that have persisted across multiple administrations.
The result, Borick said, is a system under growing pressure, where rising demand for air travel is colliding with political dysfunction and structural limitations.
Watch the full episode in the player above for a deeper look at how those forces are shaping the current moment in American aviation, and be sure to subscribe to PBS 39’s YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our great local content.
