The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a bill to end preferential airport screening access for members of Congress, which has been used by lawmakers for years. The bill would require lawmakers to undergo the same Transportation Security Administration screening procedures as the general public and bar the use of federal funds for expedited or preferential access at airport checkpoints. The legislation was passed by unanimous consent and aims to eliminate the exemption from TSA passenger or baggage screening. It also allows members of Parliament to use programs available to the public, such as TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, as long as access is not tied to their office. This comes as TSA staffing shortages during the ongoing partial government shutdown have led to long security lines at airports nationwide.