Lawmakers blast TSA for airport security measures

AP

Updated July 14

Lawmakers blasted the Transportation Security Administration on Wednesday for ineffective security at the expense of taxpayer dollars, after the Department of Homeland Security released documents showing there have been 25,000 security breaches since 2001.

Although the breaches represent a tiny fraction of the 5.5 billion passengers since 2001, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, reminded the committee that terrorists only need to slip through security once to cause serious damage, while reprimanding the TSA for doing more to appear secure than actually be secure.

"A lot of what we have been participating in here, in my opinion, has been security theater," Chaffetz said, "and has not truly done the job to secure the airports to the degree we need to."

Another report from the Government Accountability Office said that only 17 percent of the nation's airports have received joint vulnerability assessments, which Chaffetz said was "not acceptable."

The TSA has come under heavy criticism in recent months for using pat downs and body scanning machines which some passengers say makes them feel uncomfortable and violates their privacy.

"It's inadequate," Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., said. "Because I can point to you that we can take a grandmother and strip her down, because it must be grimacing that she's going through terminal cancer, and yet we also have another foreign national that gets trough with an invalid visa.

The Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques, or SPOT, program also came under scrutiny, as Stephen Lord of the Government Accountability Office said the program hasn't been proven to be an effective means of identifying terrorist subjects.

"It's still an open question whether behavior detection principles can be successfully applied on a large scale for counterterrorism purposes in an airport environment," Lord said.

William Parker, an Inspector for the Amtrak Police, suggested bomb-sniffing dogs would be an easy way to increase security without further invading the passengers' privacy.

"A dog on a jet way, at boarding would improve security at no inconvenience to travelers," Parker said, "and would provide an elevated sense of security."

He added, "People are happy to see him, and it's not intrusive, and the dog is working. And who doesn't like dogs?"

TSA Press Secretary Nicholas Kimball said that the agency intends to deploy canine teams at airports soon, but they are not effective enough to replace body scanners.

"Dog teams are excellent detection assets in our layered approach," Kimball said, "however they have certain limitations compared to machines and are not used as a primary passenger screening method. Working time, passenger interaction and other basic animal needs are challenges to canines being the primary screening method."

The original version of this story mistakenly identified Rep. Gosar as Rep. Michael Turner of Ohio. Turner was not present at this hearing.

[carlyt1]

Maybe it is time for the TSA to train with Israel's security forces and learn how to do real screening at airports instead of harassing sick 95 year olds and children or women with puffy hair. I found a new site to vent about the TSA, airlines and other travel experiences at airlineslodgingetc com

[NotumbusBumbus]

Oh, another thing - since so many people seemed bound and determined to turn the US into a maximum security state, don't be surprised to see more people simply opt out - of consumerism, of community giving, of political donations, etc., etc. It's bad enough we have to endure metal scanners in government buildings. Now we are seeing these things in retail establishments, schools, etc. Just call me Nikita, and polish my red star.

[Wimpie9]

"An evil exists that threatens every man, woman and child of this great nation. We must take steps to ensure our domestic security and protection and to protect our HOMELAND".

Adolph Hitler 1922
John Pistole 2010

Impeach Pistole. Disband TSA.

[NotumbusBumbus]

Security? Let's call it what it really is - the piece-meal destruction of the Constitution of the United States. Our government has given over authority to unionized idiots to determine where we can go, how we can get there, and what sort of humiliations and invasions of personal dignity they so choose.

If forcing an elderly woman with cancer to remove her diaper for inspection is how these jackboots are wasting our time and money, as opposed to performing real security, then I think its time we gave them all the boot. Note to the airlines: I stopped flying the day those scanners went on-line, and won't bother to do so again until they are gone. And that goes for the goon squads, too.

[brnfream]

Like wise, here. I will never step foot on an airplane as long as this fiasco goes on. The government is full idiots. Body searching old folks and children, while the terrorist can walk across our borders with so much as "what's your business here?".

[skeptic_one]

Lets make it simple - get rid of all the low life incompetent TSA screeners and move to a REALLLY secure system. Its simple and goes like this - please note there are 2 options here.

1. Anyone - anyone of whatever age, race, religion, nationality, etc. wanting to fly within or in/out of the USA and any of its territories will agree to pay a one time fee, and annual updates to go through a vetting process looking at their complete life history - sort of like applying for a Top Secret security clearance - and once granted, they have a chip planted under the skin at back of skull (like we chip pets now to help them be recovered by their owners) with all their information. From then on they simply pass through a scanner at the airport and go to their gate. Only people with this option are allowed on a flight. Fast, efficient, no personally invasive searches or pat downs in public. We manage to get rid or most of the TSA incompetents.

2. OR, there is the "take your chances" flight option. Airlines can offer flights without any checks, no body searches, baggage searches, etc. No pat downs, etc. Again, we get rid of most of the TSA gnomes. If you want to fly, and are willing to take your chances - go for it!! (Should be popular with the Las Vegas crowd)

[omnibus66]

Good comment, but the chip implant is too radical. Your passport already has a chip in it, and an endorsement in that chip would suffice. Personally I would go for the second option.

[Wimpie9]

No amount of safety, no measure of security, NO NUMBER OF LIVES SAVED is worth sacrificing the founding principles of our nation.

This is (ostensibly still) the land of the free, not the land of the safe. Freedom means risk and 235 years ago, some people decided that given the choice between living safe lives of submission to authority, or taking their lives in their hands and being free, they would rather have liberty at the expense of personal risk.

Yes, if TSA stops doing what it is doing, planes may be blown up. Maybe we'll have another 9/11. Maybe we'll have 911 more 9/11s. It will be sad, people will be hurting and mourning. But that is the price we pay for liberty. When people say "freedom isn't free," that's where that slogan comes from. When Thomas Jefferson said "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants," it was not intended as some sort of anarchist screed. He was saying that sometimes, in order for there to be freedom for all, good people must stand against oppressors and, sometimes, sacrifice themselves in order to do so.

And for godsakes, nobody is even asking any American patriot to fall on their sword. What we're talking about is the people standing up and saying "Enough is enough" to the TSA. Saying "If we have to choose between being less safe in the air and enduring the wholesale sexual assault that you neander-thugs perpetrate against us every day at terminals across the nation, then we'll keep our 4th-Amendment rights and take our chances. Now get the hell out of our airports."

Anyone who values safety over liberty is not espousing American principles and, in point of fact, this can be confirmed via the words of Benjamin Franklin himself. It's been quoted a thousand times before but it rings absolutely true each and every last time. "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

America. Land of the free. Not "Land of the free, except in airports or when we're really really scared, void where prohibited, some restrictions may apply."

[skeptic_one]

Excellent thought!!

[USMCMCAA]

You are absolutely spot on with your comments. Unfortunately, we all know that it's impossible to kill a government program -- and the TSA has been so politicized vis-a-vis screening technologies and programs that it will probably survive a nuclear blast just like cockroaches will.

[Sam-Jack]

it's a job program for folks who got passed over by McDonalds..
and now that they are Unionized..
good luck changing anything..

[skeptic_one]

You are right on the target with this comment. Almost all these people were minimum wage drones - paid for by the airlines - until Uncle Sugar gave them their cushy jobs - and they immediately unionized! America - land of opportunity!! 'Ya gotta love it ! !

[retm-w]

Hmm what union do they belong to? Or are is that just another faux news lie.