Testifying late last month during a House joint Appropriation Committee and Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing, TSA administrator David Pekoske made the case for more ID authentication infrastructure.

But the numbers mentioned – almost all budget increases, not budget totals — were small compared to proposed spending boosts on staff.

The administration is asking for $1.4 billion to fully fund pay increases for TSA workers that began in fiscal 2023. Pekoske also asked for another $200 million to recruit and retain employees.

He said he needs an increase of $10.4 million for "cybersecurity staffing, as well as the development and implementation of enhanced cybersecurity-related measures to improve cyber resiliency" in the travel industry.

Credential Authentication Technology, or CAT, systems should get more money, according to Pekoske. The figures are meager, however.

CAT terminals are biometric authentication devices used in pre-screening roles to also match travelers approaching a terminal with their flight data. Government-accepted photos are matched to an image temporarily captured as a traveler stands before the terminal.