NY Assemblywoman Valdez Faces Questions Over Airline Nationalization, TSA PreCheck Remarks
A resurface of past policy statements from a Mamdani-endorsed state legislator tests how far left-flank economic positions travel in a competitive New York political environment.
New York Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, who has received backing from New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, is facing scrutiny over statements she made on a podcast in which she called for abolishing TSA PreCheck and nationalizing the U.S. airline industry, according to a report published June 28, 2026 by Fox News. The specific podcast, its date of recording, and the full context of Valdez's remarks have not been independently verified by The Congressional Times; the source document would be the podcast recording itself or an official transcript.
TSA PreCheck is a Department of Homeland Security program administered by the Transportation Security Administration that allows vetted travelers to use expedited security screening at participating U.S. airports. According to DHS public records, the program enrolled more than 15 million members as of fiscal year 2024. Airline nationalization, as a policy position, would require federal legislative action to transfer private carrier ownership to the U.S. government — a step with no current introduced legislation in either chamber of the 119th Congress, according to Congress.gov as of June 28, 2026.
Valdez serves in the New York State Assembly. Her district, committee assignments, and any formal policy proposals she has introduced are listed in New York State Assembly public records. The Congressional Times has not independently confirmed whether she has introduced state-level legislation related to airline policy or airport security screening. Mamdani, a state assemblymember running for New York City mayor, has not issued a public statement on Valdez's remarks as of the time of publication, according to a review of his campaign's public communications.
The political relevance to federal governance centers on two areas within The Congressional Times's scope: TSA PreCheck is a federally funded and federally operated program subject to congressional appropriations and DHS oversight, and U.S. commercial aviation is regulated at the federal level by the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. Any proposal to nationalize U.S. airlines or abolish PreCheck would require action by Congress. No such bill has been introduced in the current congressional session, per Congress.gov.
What remains unknown: the full audio or transcript of the podcast in question, whether Valdez has since modified or retracted the positions attributed to her, and whether Mamdani's campaign has formally distanced itself from or endorsed those positions. The public records that would answer these questions are the original podcast recording, any official statement from Valdez's Assembly office, and Mamdani's campaign finance and endorsement disclosures filed with the New York City Campaign Finance Board.