Hearing of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee - Opening Statement on "Frustrated Travelers: Rethinking TSA Operations to Improve Passenger Screening and Address Threats to Aviation"
Hearing
As submitted for the record:
We have convened this hearing to examine the actions of the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) to address wait times at United States airports and prevent terrorist
activity threatening our nation's aviation system.
The TSA's mission is to protect the air transportation system to ensure freedom of movement and
commerce. In fiscal year 2015, the TSA screened approximately 695 million passengers and 2
billion carry-on and checked bags.
Since February, numerous media reports have highlighted the growing frustration with lengthy
wait times at TSA security checkpoints. On May 15, 2016, 450 travelers at Chicago's O'Hare
International Airport missed their flights due to a three-hour wait in the TSA line. As delays
have become pervasive, many airport officials have expressed interest in privatizing security
operations.
Today we will discuss possible solutions to reduce wait times while still considering security
standards. First, the TSA can optimize passenger screening by increasing the number of
explosive detection canine units at airports. At a March hearing, experts told this committee that
dogs are more effective and efficient than technology because dogs can process multiple
passengers and bags simultaneously. In recent testimony before the committee, Department of
Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that canine units "are in fact an
extraordinarily effective tool, both from a security perspective and critically for a throughput
perspective."
Second, the TSA can utilize the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which permits airport
officials to apply to have passenger and baggage screening performed by private contractors.
Currently, there are 22 airports participating in the SPP, including San Francisco International
and Orlando's Sanford International.
Third, expanding the TSA's trusted traveler program, TSA Precheck, can help expedite the
screening process at more than 167 airports. On Jan. 13, 2016, the TSA achieved a milestone,
announcing that 2 million passengers had enrolled in TSA Precheck.
However, the TSA still needs to improve the program. In my state, travelers have expressed
frustration with enrollment and adjudication delays. Wisconsin is one of two states in the
country where enrollment centers are fully booked, forcing Wisconsinites to wait 45 days for an
appointment. This delay is entirely avoidable, as 200 additional enrollment adjudicators stand
ready to work, but are awaiting final TSA approval. If the TSA would act on these applications,
wait times for Precheck would likely immediately go down.Finally, the March 22 coordinated bombings at the Brussels airport and the May 19 crash involving Egypt Air flight MS 804 serve as two clear examples of terrorist organizations continuing to target commercial aircraft. Given the threats we face to aviation security, we must
also ensure that the TSA is adapting to the evolving threat environment.
I thank the witnesses for being here today to discuss these important issues, and I look forward to
your testimony.
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