Why It Matters

Covenant Aviation Security LLC terminated its lobbying relationship with Cornerstone Government Affairs on May 31, according to a filing signed July 13. The termination marks the end of a nearly nine-year partnership between the private aviation screening company and the lobbying firm.

A Modest but Consistent Client

Covenant Aviation Security was not among Cornerstone Government Affairs' largest clients. The firm's other active clients included Google Client Services LLC, which paid a combined $1,050,000 across multiple filings, and CoBank ACB at $470,000. By comparison, Covenant Aviation Security paid Cornerstone Government Affairs $30,000 per quarter during the 2019-2023 period, placing it well below the firm's top-tier accounts.

The filing amount for the termination was $20,000. While modest relative to Cornerstone's broader client portfolio, the relationship had proven stable. Covenant Aviation Security retained Cornerstone Government Affairs to lobby on the TSA Screening Partnership Program from at least 2017 through the first quarter of 2026, a span of more than nine years.

For Cornerstone Government Affairs, the loss of Covenant Aviation Security represents a consistent quarterly revenue stream ending. The company had maintained regular lobbying engagement with the firm, filing disclosure documents on a quarterly basis. Joe Barton, listed as principal lobbyist for the account, was the primary contact managing the relationship.

Broader Context

Shifting TSA Screening Partnership Landscape

The termination coincides with significant legislative activity around the TSA Screening Partnership Program, the primary focus of Covenant Aviation Security's lobbying efforts.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced multiple proposals related to the program. He sponsored the Screening Partnership Reform Act of 2020, introduced Dec. 1, 2020, which would have authorized airport operators to select private screening companies and required cost comparisons with federal screening services before contracts were awarded.

Lee introduced a similar Screening Partnership Reform Act in the 117th Congress on April 15, 2021, with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) as a cosponsor. The legislation would have allowed airport operators to select private screening companies and required companies to submit annual recommendations to TSA on screening improvements.

In the 118th Congress, Lee introduced yet another version, the Screening Partnership Reform Act, on March 21, 2023. This bill would have revised the program to require TSA to give airport operators the opportunity to select their preferred private screening company and would have removed the requirement that private screening companies provide compensation no less than federal government levels.

Expansion vs. Reform Debate

More recently, the legislative focus shifted. The Reimbursable Screening Services Program Extension Act of 2026, introduced on June 23, took a different approach.

Sponsored by Representative Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) with cosponsor Representative Nellie Pou (D-NJ), the bill would extend the TSA Reimbursable Screening Services Program through fiscal year 2031 and expand the program from eights to up to 14 locations. The House Homeland Security Committee ordered the bill to be reported by a vote of 30–0, indicating bipartisan support for program expansion rather than the structural reforms that had been proposed in prior years.

Abolition Proposal

Beyond program reform, Sen. Lee introduced the Abolish TSA Act of 2025 on March 27, 2025, with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) as a cosponsor. The bill would abolish the TSA entirely within three years and direct the Department of Homeland Security to develop a reorganization plan that includes the rapid transfer of all aviation security activities and equipment to qualified private screening companies.

Bottom Line

Joe Barton, who served as the principal lobbyist on the account, brought relevant experience to the role. He served as an intern on the House Homeland Security Committee in October, 2007, and served in Congress across the 110th, 111th, and 112th Congresses, giving him more than four years of total congressional service. His background in homeland security policy and prior congressional experience positioned him to navigate the complex regulatory landscape surrounding aviation screening.

The decision to terminate the lobbying disclosure relationship comes as the legislative environment around TSA screening has become more fragmented. While reform proposals from Senator Lee have faced challenges in advancing, the bipartisan support for the Reimbursable Screening Services Program Extension Act signals that expansion of existing private screening programs may be gaining traction over more fundamental restructuring of the TSA itself.

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