Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of amendment No. 32 that would express congressional opposition to TSA's use of facial recognition technology at American airports.

Facial recognition technology encroaches on the privacy of American citizens. This gives the government unprecedented surveillance capabilities that can track a person's movements in real time.

At a time when the government already conducts warrantless searches of our data through the FISA programs, we should not give our weaponized government another inch when it comes to mass surveillance, especially without a sophisticated system of checks and balances.

TSA has expanded its facial recognition technology at American airports. While TSA states that the program is optional, it is the stated intent of the TSA to expand this technology beyond the security checkpoint and require that passengers undergo facial recognition scans every time they travel. Further, there are several airports that I have traveled to that do not have sufficient signage to alert passengers that they have the option to opt out of this intrusive technology.

In April of 2023, TSA Administrator Pekoske admitted at the South by Southwest Conference that we will get to a point where we will require biometrics across the board.

The potential for misuse of this technology extends far beyond airport security checkpoints. Once Americans become accustomed to government facial recognition scans, it will be that much easier for the government to scan citizens' faces everywhere, from entry into government buildings, to passive surveillance on public property like parks, schools, and sidewalks.

This powerful surveillance technology as deployed by TSA does not make air travel safer. As a matter of fact, the 3 percent error rate cited by TSA represents more than 68,000 mismatches per day if used on all 2.2 million daily travelers.

Recent news reports that hundreds of passengers have bypassed TSA security checkpoints entirely in recent years suggest that TSA should focus on the fundamentals, not expanding its facial recognition program.

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Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley) for cosponsoring this amendment. I encourage my colleagues to support this effort, as well.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, I encourage all Members and friends to support this important amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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