Tsa Opportunities to Pursue Expanded Networks for Business Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6459, the TSA Opportunities to Pursue Expanded Networks for Business Act, or TSA OPEN for Business Act.

Madam Speaker, the Transportation Security Administration must acquire and deploy effective security technology to keep up with current threats. To do so, TSA must ensure its acquisition processes incentivize security manufacturers to develop innovative solutions and compete for contract awards.

Unfortunately, in practice, TSA's processes are unwieldy and full of delays and roadblocks that limit interest and competition. Today, companies looking to do business with TSA for the first time must invest significant resources and expend years of effort on testing and piloting before ever receiving a single purchase order.

For small businesses, which generally lack other revenue streams to underwrite their operations while working through the maze of TSA's processes, these impediments often prove insurmountable. There is no way of knowing how many small businesses have had innovative security solutions, but pursued other opportunities rather than risk getting tangled up in TSA's acquisition web.

My bill, the TSA OPEN for Business Act, requires TSA to develop a strategy to diversify the technology stakeholder marketplace that it relies upon to acquire security technologies. Importantly, the strategy must address barriers to participation for businesses that have not previously provided technology to TSA, including small business innovators.

It also requires TSA to conduct a feasibility assessment of partnering with a nonprofit organization to provide venture capital to help businesses commercialize innovative technologies, similar to the In-Q-Tel program that has been so successful within the intelligence community.

By pushing TSA to take proactive action to diversify the security technology marketplace, H.R. 6459 has the potential to increase competition within the transportation security technology marketplace to ultimately deliver better security.

Madam Speaker, in fiscal year 2017, TSA awarded over $1.6 billion in contracts. Within such a large marketplace, there should be plenty of space for businesses of all sizes with innovative ideas to compete. H.R. 6459 will push TSA to take steps to diversify the security technology marketplace to ensure that it is positioned to acquire the most innovative technology available.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the other side for their support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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