Should Members of Congress Get Special TSA Treatment?

Following the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) on Saturday, a top House Democrat is calling for beefed up security protection and special treatment from the TSA.

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), assistant minority leader of the House, told "Fox News Sunday" that going through airports leaves him ill at ease and concerned for his safety. 

“We’ve had some incidents where TSA authorities think that congresspeople should be treated like everybody else,” he said. “Well, the fact of the matter is, we are held to a higher standard in so many other areas, and I think we need to take a hard look at exactly how the TSA interact with members of Congress.”

TSA should interact more frequently with the Capitol Hill Police to ensure that representatives are better protected as they travel, Clyburn said. He also said that the House might need to "beef up the funding" for representative's budgets so they can ensure their own safety.

However, not all House members agree.

“I’m concerned about putting up more walls between myself and the people that I represent,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) on the same Fox program. “I want to make sure that we’re looking at it, that we’re making an appropriate response, that we as members are being smart in our interactions.”