CLEVELAND, Ohio — Donald J. Trump pledged Thursday night during his Republican presidential nomination acceptance speech to “fix TSA at the airports, which is a total disaster.” If he’s looking for an ally in Congress to help make that happen, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL3) may be his guy.
In May, Rogers took Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator Peter Neffenge to task during a committee hearing over the issue of the gross inefficiencies at airport screening stations.
“(With) recent news reports of the never-ending lines at TSA screening points at airports across the country, it is past time another option is on the table to take the place of the current TSA screeners,” Rogers said.
According to a recent report, the TSA projects that 740 million passengers will pass through its screening process this year, up from 643 million just a few years ago. Lately, the TSA has been under increasing pressure as airport wait times have risen to an all-time high.
Earlier this year, would-be travelers at Chicago’s O’hare Airport waited in TSA lines for over three hours, causing 400 passengers to miss their flights. Similarly, JFK Airport in New York reported that its wait times have risen over 80 percent from last year.
While the TSA and the Obama administration are calling for more agents on the floor and increased funding to solve the problem, Rep. Rogers has a much different plan: private contracting.
“I will soon be introducing legislation that will allow airports to end the Federal screening work force replacing them with qualified private contractors. This will allow TSA to work directly with its stakeholders on technology and information-sharing while being focused on the real threats to our transportation systems,” he said during the hearing.
“We have dealt with the ‘Thousands Standing Around’ worker attitude for far too long and we must make the screening process more efficient and customer-focused. My legislation should help make the TSA smarter and leaner.”
Canada and many European countries currently have private contractors conduct screenings at their airports. In the U.S., the idea currently has support among some members of the House Republican Majority. The Mayor of Atlanta recently announced that the privatization of security at the Hartsfield-Jackson airport – a frequent stop for many Alabamians – is back on the table.
The TSA was founded in 2001 as a response to the 9/11 attacks during the Bush Administration. It is housed within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and has authority over the security of the traveling public in the United States. Since its creation, the agency has been attacked by national security experts and civil libertarians alike for being both ineffective and an infringement on civil liberties.
Last year, an internal investigation within the TSA revealed that undercover investigators from Homeland Security were able to smuggle mock explosives or banned weapons through checkpoints in 95 percent of trials. ABC News reported that TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests, with DHS “mock terrorists” repeatedly getting potential weapons through airport screening stations.
These failures occurred despite the implementation of full body scanners and/or full body pat downs at check points. Late last summer Fox News reported that the TSA was facing a lawsuit before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for operating outside of their authority by using the scanners without developing rules. The suit has not yet been settled.
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