Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) revealed that he was insulted by a TSA agent who didn't know he was a congressman.
On Tuesday, Harris told Real America Voice host Steve Gruber about his experience at a TSA checkpoint in Charlotte during the partial government shutdown, which was preventing agents from being paid.
"I spoke to some TSA agents, in fact, on the other side just to thank them," he recalled. "They didn't recognize that I was a congressman."
"And one of them said, 'You know, I appreciate your appreciation.' He said, 'It's those low IQ people in Washington, D.C. that are creating this mess,'" Harris said. "And I said, 'You know, I couldn't agree with you more.'"
The GOP lawmaker said he apologized on behalf of Democrats "who fit your qualification you just gave."
"And he said, 'Are you in Congress?' I said, 'Yes, I am,'" Harris remarked. "So the president is on track. He's saying exactly what needs to be said. And the Senate needs to act."
Democrats have offered bills to fund TSA separately while the Trump administration negotiates changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in exchange for funding of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Republicans, however, have blocked the TSA funding bills, insisting that Democrats fully fund DHS.