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S. HRG. 112–835 

BALANCING PROSPERITY AND SECURITY: CHALLENGES FOR U.S. AIR TRAVEL IN A 21ST 

CENTURY GLOBAL ECONOMY 

HEARING 

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE 

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

SPECIAL HEARING 

MARCH 21, 2012—WASHINGTON, DC 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/ 

committee.action?chamber=senate&committee=appropriations 
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Chairman 

PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont 

TOM HARKIN, Iowa 

BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland 

HERB KOHL, Wisconsin 

PATTY MURRAY, Washington 

DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California 

RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois 

TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota 

MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana 

JACK REED, Rhode Island 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

BEN NELSON, Nebraska 

MARK PRYOR, Arkansas 

JON TESTER, Montana 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi 

MITCH MCCONNELL, Kentucky 

RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama 

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas 

LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee 

SUSAN COLLINS, Maine 

LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska 

LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina 

MARK KIRK, Illinois 

DANIEL COATS, Indiana 

ROY BLUNT, Missouri 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin 

CHARLES J. HOUY, Staff Director 

BRUCE EVANS, Minority Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana, Chairman 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii 

PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont 

PATTY MURRAY, Washington 

JON TESTER, Montana 

DANIEL COATS, Indiana 

THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi 

RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama 

LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

Professional Staff 

CHARLES KIEFFER

CHIP WALGREN

SCOTT NANCE

DRENAN E. DUDLEY

REBECCA DAVIES (Minority) 

CAROL CRIBBS (Minority) 

Administrative Support 

NORA MARTIN

COURTNEY STEVENS (Minority) 
(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Opening Statement of Senator Mary L. Landrieu ................................................ 1 

Statement of Senator Dan Coats ............................................................................ 4 

Statement of Senator Frank R. Lautenberg .......................................................... 6 

Statement of Hon. John S. Pistole, Administrator, Transportation Security 

Administration ..................................................................................................... 7 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 8 

Adopting a Risk-Based Security Strategy ............................................................. 9 

TSA PreCheck (Pre✓TM) Program .......................................................................... 9 

Statement of Thomas S. Winkowski, Acting Deputy Commissioner, Customs 

and Border Protection .......................................................................................... 11 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 13 

Business Transformation ........................................................................................ 14 

Professionalism and Model Ports ........................................................................... 16 

Advanced Targeting Initiatives .............................................................................. 18 

Statement of Douglas A. Smith, Assistant Secretary, Private Sector Office, 

Department of Homeland Security ..................................................................... 20 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 22 

The Department’s Efforts on Travel and Tourism ................................................ 22 

The Traveler Experience ......................................................................................... 23 

Statement of David T. Donahue, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services, Department of State .................................................................................... 24 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 26 

The Department of State’s Role in Travel and Tourism Promotion .................... 26 

Responding to Increasing Worldwide Demand for U.S. Visas ............................. 26 

Meeting Demand, Especially in China and Brazil ................................................ 27 

The Role of Security Has Not Diminished ............................................................. 28 

Interviews ................................................................................................................. 28 

Reciprocity ................................................................................................................ 29 

Visa Waiver Program .............................................................................................. 29 

Newark Liberty Airport: Staffing ........................................................................... 30 

Staffing and Wait Times at Newark Liberty International Airport .................... 31 

Newark Liberty Airport Breaches .......................................................................... 32 

I–94 Replacement: Cost-Benefit ............................................................................. 32 

Aviation Security Passenger Fee Increase ............................................................ 34 

Airport Screening: Pilots and Flight Attendants .................................................. 35 

PreCheck (Pre✓TM) Program .................................................................................. 36 

Coordination With Airlines Airports and TSA or Customs .................................. 37 

Airport Screening: Individuals With Special Needs ............................................. 38 

Cargo Screening ....................................................................................................... 40 

Additional Committee Questions ............................................................................ 43 

Questions Submitted to Hon. John S. Pistole ....................................................... 43 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 43 

TSA’s PreCheck (Pre✓TM) Program ........................................................................ 43 

Expedited Screening for Military Members ........................................................... 45 

Expedited Screening for Pilots and Flight Attendants ......................................... 46 

Checked Baggage Fees ............................................................................................ 46 

TSA Behavior Detection—Assessor Program ........................................................ 47 

Advanced Imaging Technology ............................................................................... 49 

Aviation Security Capital Fund .............................................................................. 50 

Security Procedures for Airport Employees ........................................................... 51 

Screening Partnership Program ............................................................................. 52 

Known Crewmember Program ............................................................................... 53 

Questions Submitted by Senator Daniel Coats ..................................................... 53 

Risk-Based Passenger Screening (TSA Pre✓TM Program) ................................... 53 
Page

IV 

Questions Submitted by Senator Richard C. Shelby ............................................ 55 

Canine Explosives Detection ................................................................................... 55 

Questions Submitted to Thomas S. Winkowski .................................................... 55 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 55 

CBP Wait Times and Staffing ................................................................................ 55 

Targeting High-Risk Passengers ............................................................................ 57 

Model Ports of Entry ............................................................................................... 58 

CBP Customer Service ............................................................................................ 59 

Visa Waiver Program .............................................................................................. 59 

Global Entry ............................................................................................................. 60 

Question Submitted by Senator Patrick J. Leahy ................................................ 61 

Cross-Border Passenger Rail Service ..................................................................... 61 

Questions Submitted by Senator Daniel Coats ..................................................... 62 

Cargo Screening ....................................................................................................... 62 

Global Entry Program ............................................................................................. 62 

Targeting in the Passenger Environment .............................................................. 63 

I–94 Form Automation ............................................................................................ 63 

Electronic System for Travel Authorization .......................................................... 64 

Questions Submitted to Douglas A. Smith ............................................................ 64 

Question Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu .............................................. 64 

Questions Submitted by Senator Daniel Coats ..................................................... 65 

Collaboration With Airport Authorities ................................................................. 65 

National Travel and Tourism Strategy .................................................................. 66 

Questions Submitted to David T. Donahue ........................................................... 66 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 66 

Visa Issuance ........................................................................................................... 66 

Implementation of Executive Order ....................................................................... 68 

Travel to the United States: From a Visa Waiver Program Country Vs. 

a Non-Visa Waiver Program Country ................................................................ 69 

NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES 

Statement of Roger Dow, President and CEO, U.S. Travel Association ............. 73 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 75 

Implement Risk-Based and Efficient Passenger Screening ................................. 75 

Promote and Expand International Travel ........................................................... 76 

Visa Issuance Process .............................................................................................. 78 

Visa Waiver Program .............................................................................................. 79 

Immigration Processing Upon Arrival Into the United States ............................ 80 

Statement of Charles M. Barclay, President, American Association of Airport 

Executives ............................................................................................................. 81 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 82 

Attachment, G–10 Airports Coalition—Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas/Fort 

Worth; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; Metropolitan Washington 

Airports Authority; Miami; New York/New Jersey Port Authority; 

Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Francisco; Seattle/Tacoma ...................... 86 

CBP Issues ............................................................................................................... 86 

Visa (Department of State) Issues ......................................................................... 87 

Statement of Thomas L. Hendricks, Senior Vice President of Safety, Security 

and Operations, Airlines for America ................................................................. 87 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 89 

Needed Actions ........................................................................................................ 89 

Statement of Steven Hacker, President and CEO, International Association 

of Exhibitions and Events ................................................................................... 90 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 91 

Statement of Sara Nelson, International Vice President, Association of Flight 

Attendants–CWA ................................................................................................. 94 

Prepared Statement of ..................................................................................... 96 

TSA Workforce ......................................................................................................... 96 

Security Screening ................................................................................................... 97 

Carry-On Baggage Limitations ............................................................................... 98 

Letter From the American Association of Airport Executives ............................. 100 

Additional Committee Questions ............................................................................ 102 

Questions Submitted to Roger S. Dow ................................................................... 102 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 102 

Questions Submitted to Charles M. Barclay ......................................................... 104 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 104 
Page

V 

Questions Submitted to Thomas L. Hendricks ..................................................... 105 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 105 

Questions Submitted to Steven Hacker ................................................................. 106 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 106 

Attachment, Exhibits A–E ............................................................................... 108 

Questions Submitted to Sara Nelson ..................................................................... 119 

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu ............................................. 119 

Known Crewmember Program ............................................................................... 119 

Checked Baggage Fees ............................................................................................ 119 

(1) 

BALANCING PROSPERITY AND SECURITY: 

CHALLENGES FOR U.S. AIR TRAVEL IN A 

21ST CENTURY GLOBAL ECONOMY 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012 

U.S. SENATE, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY, 

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, 

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met at 10:01 a.m., in room SD–138, Dirksen 

Senate Office Building, Hon. Mary L. Landrieu (chairman) presiding. 

Present: Senators Landrieu, Lautenberg, Coats, and Murkowski. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

Senator LANDRIEU. Good morning, and let me call the subcommittee of Homeland Security Appropriations Committee to 

order. 

I am looking forward particularly to our hearing this morning. 

This is a favorite topic of mine and to many people that I represent, and I am happy to provide the time to air out some of these 

important issues. I thank my ranking member. 

We were notified this morning that there will be a vote on the 

floor of the Senate at 10:45 a.m. We are going to try to keep this 

subcommittee moving forward, even as we vote. It just depends on 

the members and if they are going to be able to attend. Senator 

Coats has another meeting at 10:30 a.m. So we will just see how 

it goes, but we are going to try to be accommodating to everyone’s 

schedule. 

Let me welcome all of you. 

The tourism and travel industry is a substantial component of 

the U.S. economy. In 2010, it represented 2.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and 7.5 million jobs. International 

travel to the United States supports 1.2 million jobs alone. The average overseas visitor spends $4,500 while they are here. And I 

would venture to say much of that money is spent at relatively 

small businesses, whether it is restaurants or museums or gift 

shops, art stores, antique dealers, et cetera. So we want to increase 

that opportunity for our small businesses here. 

Travel is a key economic driver for many of our major cities. According to information from the Department of Commerce, New 

York City continues to reign as the number one destination for 

international travelers, commanding a 32-percent share of overseas 

arrivals. Los Angeles experienced a 33-percent increase during 
2 

2010, gaining over 800,000 visitors. Las Vegas saw a 31-percent increase in overseas visitation during 2010, welcoming 570,000 more 

visitors than the year before. And during the first half of 2011, 

446,400 international travelers visited New Orleans, a 6.9-percent 

increase over the first half of 2010 and the largest jump for us in 

many years. There are other parts of the country, of course, that 

benefit as well, but just pointing out those specific destinations. 

Today’s hearing will focus on the Federal Government’s initiatives, primarily the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but 

also the Department of State (State Department) in both domestic 

and international arenas to make air travel as efficient but as convenient as possible but without sacrificing security. The subcommittee will examine the execution of a number of existing programs designed to expedite security screening for air travelers and 

to improve the arrival process for visitors to the United States. 

We will also look at steps the State Department is taking to expedite the issuance of tourist visas. We will also hear from representatives of the private sector who are impacted by these programs. 

On January 19, earlier this year, President Obama announced a 

series of initiatives to enhance travel and tourism to this country. 

He stated: ‘‘Every year, tens of millions of tourists from all over the 

world come and visit America. The more folks who visit America, 

the more Americans we can get back to work. We need to help 

businesses all across the country grow and create jobs, compete, 

and win. That is how we are going to rebuild an economy where 

hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, and where 

everyone can make it if they try.’’ I could not agree more. 

Today the U.S. Travel Association is launching a national bus 

tour at Union Station to highlight many of the issues we will be 

discussing this morning. 

The travel dollar is an integral part of our economy, and we all 

should want to see it grow. At the same time, we must never forget 

that planes were, in fact, used as weapons of mass destruction on 

9/11, and Congress created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in response to those horrific attacks and the continued threat to our Nation’s aviation sector that has been widely 

publicized lately. 

However, 10 years after TSA was created, the screening process 

is viewed by many as overly burdensome. For too long, travelers 

with low-risk profiles have been screened no differently than those 

with high-risk profiles in a one-size-fits-all system. 

I am pleased to have the Administrator of TSA here today to discuss his efforts to think anew and to move away from that outdated screening model. TSA has launched an expedited screening 

program for known travelers called PreCheck (Pre✓TM). It relaxes 

screening requirements for children under 12 and this week began 

relaxing screening procedures for passengers over age 75 and for 

the military. The plan is to expand Pre✓TM from 11 airports to 35 

airports this year. That is good news, but we have many more airports to reach. These efforts have received positive reviews and 

today we will explore how risk-based screening can be expanded to 

accommodate more travelers. 
3 

TSA is also beginning to expedite access to airplanes for pilots 

through its crewmember program. I personally believe we must expand this program to include flight attendants. If any group should 

be considered trusted travelers, it most certainly is our flight 

crews. 

The bottom line is that security and convenience are not mutually exclusive. It is important that pleasure and comfort once again 

become words that are associated with air travel. Airlines have a 

big role to play in this, as do airports, but so does the Federal Government. 

As someone who has returned from international travel and has 

been required to stand in long lines without the use of a cell phone 

for a long time, waiting to clear Customs, I have often wondered 

what tourists coming to this country for a vacation to see the sights 

and spend their money must think of this great country of ours if 

this is their first impression. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

officers at our Nation’s airports are the face of America to these 

tired travelers. It is important that we be both vigilant and welcoming. 

In 2011, more than 91 million travelers to the United States 

were processed by CBP through international airports. CBP has developed a number of Trusted Traveler programs designed to securely expedite the entry process for frequent travelers. Global 

Entry allows expedited clearance for preapproved, low-risk travelers who have paid $100 to participate in the program for 5 years 

and submitted to a more thorough background check. There are 

currently more than 252,000 members enrolled in Global Entry. 

NEXUS is a binational cooperative effort with Canada, similar to 

Global Entry and valid for land, sea, and air. Currently there are 

more than 629,000 participants who pay $50 for a 5-year enrollment. 

At the direction of Congress, CBP initiated the Model Ports of 

Entry program in 2007 to make the entry process more streamlined, understandable, and welcoming. It currently operates at 20 

major airports, and there are other programs which will be discussed today. 

In an effort to promote these activities, we put in our bill last 

year additional funding—and I thank my co-chair—for 300 CBP officers at new and expanded ports of entry and $10 million above 

the request for TSA to support risk-based screenings such as 

Pre✓TM. We will get an update, Senator, on that investment today. 

The State Department has the primary responsibility for issuing 

visas to people wishing to travel. The President’s January 19 Executive order specifically calls for a 40-percent increase in non-immigrant visa processing capability over the coming year while ensuring that 80 percent of non-immigrant visa applications are interviewed within 3 weeks of their visa application. These benchmarks 

reflect mandates that I have worked to include in the fiscal year 

2012 State and Foreign Operations budget as a member of that 

subcommittee. These are robust targets. We will want to know 

what steps the State Department is taking to meet these goals. 

On the second panel, we will have a variety of witnesses from the 

private sector who will discuss how these policies, already implemented by the Government, have improved the travel and entry 
4 

process, and equally as important, they will share with the subcommittee their ideas on what more can be and should be done to 

further improve the ability to visit this country, increase travel, 

and grow the economy. 

I would like to now call on Senator Coats for his opening statement, and then I will turn to Vice Chair Frank Lautenberg when 

he arrives. And Senator, please and thank you. And I understand 

you have to leave in about 20 minutes. So thank you. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR DAN COATS

Senator COATS. Madam Chairman, you have suggested we do a 

rolling coverage so we can keep the subcommittee going. I can work 

that out. So you go first. I will wait, and then vote when you come 

back. Then I have got another appropriations hearing that is important to me. But this is important and I want to be here as much 

as I can. So we will figure that out. 

Thank you very much, Madam Chairman, for bringing these people together on this subject. All of us have experienced travel 

issues, lines at airline counters and self-check kiosks, and delays 

at boarding gates, lines at security screening and so forth. But we 

have to remember that 9/11 was a game-changer and that a lot of 

important adjustments needed to be made in terms of our ensuring 

that travel and the tourists that do travel and Americans that travel are safe to every extent possible. And so these adjustments have 

been made—many adjustments and things have been added to our 

ability to make travel more secure and convenient. 

There is this ying and yang that goes back and forth. We all 

want to balance security with convenience. Everybody wants to be 

perfectly safe or as safe as possible and at the same time have everything be as convenient as possible. And the members of the first 

panel that is before us have to deal with these issues every day 

and finding that balance is a real challenge, and I think we have 

to recognize that and recognize the efforts that have been made to 

try to achieve those two goals. 

TSA and CBP have a number of initiatives underway, Pre✓TM

and Global Entry among them, which could positively impact their 

ability to concentrate their limited resources on risk-based screening. The State Department is working on an initiative to address 

visa issuance problems. 

There is a ying and yang between our first panel and our second 

panel. If CBP and TSA schedule too few staff on a shift, resulting 

in lines and delays for processing and screening, that is a problem. 

But airline policies and scheduling also play a role in processing 

and screening. Too few personnel staffing airline self-check kiosks 

can hold up travelers, as can the impact of an airline’s baggage 

fees. If there are too many international flights scheduled for arrival, say, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Dulles, this contributes to 

long lines for processing. And too many flights scheduled for early 

morning departure or late afternoon arrival or departure contribute 

to long lines for security screening. 

So I am hoping this morning that we will hear concrete, achievable suggestions for improvements. Let me just expand on that. 

Achievable suggestions for improving processing and screening 
5 

while maintaining our security and recognizing budget constraints. 

This is a real challenge. 

We are facing a serious crisis in this country with our Nation’s 

debt and the yearly deficit. It cannot be ignored, and there can no 

longer be such a thing as a sacred cow. We all have our sacred 

cows, but when you add them all up, nobody wants to subtract anything. I do not believe the answer to our problems is more taxpayer 

money sent to Washington. So we need to find innovative ways to 

be more efficient with the resources we do have. 

I note that several of the written testimonies include calls for 

more Federal staff at airports, mandating in statute a time limit 

for processing international arriving flights, mandating a time limit 

for processing visa applications, modernizing Federal information 

technology systems, providing Federal funding for checked baggage, 

screening equipment, et cetera. And while many of these suggestions that have been made may be good ideas, most likely most of 

them will require additional appropriations, which we do not have. 

They might require increases in fees levied on international airline 

passengers or visa applicants or even domestic passengers which 

have, as we know, little if any public support. And most importantly, some of these suggestions have a cost in lowered security. 

So do we want CBP watching the clock every time an international flight lands, or do we want them concentrating on assessing the information and the demeanor of each individual who has 

come off that plane? 

Do we want the State Department checking the calendar every 

day a visa application is in the office, or do we want them making 

sure that they have found every piece of information they can 

about a potential visitor or immigrant to this country before making a final decision? 

It is not okay to complain about security requirements for visas, 

airports, or entry into the United States and then demand that 

they be fundamentally changed when one mishap or one bad guy 

gets through the system. None of us want to see international travel drop in the wake of a successful terrorist attack the way it did 

in 2002 in the aftermath of 9/11. 

So in conclusion here, we all need to work together to figure out 

ways to work smarter but not necessarily more expensively or in 

a way that could compromise security. TSA, CBP, and the State 

Department need to contribute ideas just like the travel industry, 

airlines, event planners, and flight attendants need to contribute 

ideas for all of us to do this while ensuring that the United States 

remains a safe and preferred destination for international travelers. 

I look forward to continuing this discussion on these important 

issues. 

Madam Chairman, I know you and I, Senator Lautenberg, and 

others on this subcommittee pledge to work with all of you to try 

to achieve efficiency and effectiveness, at the same time providing 

security for those who travel from abroad and for Americans who 

take advantage of this magnificent country by getting on a plane, 

train, bus to go to places and continue this vibrant and dynamic 

tourist industry. 
6 

I might just say I am happy to see my friend and fellow Indiana 

Law School graduate, John Pistole, here. We would prefer that 

nothing happens to interrupt our time between Friday evening 9 

p.m. to 11 p.m. when Indiana plays Kentucky in the Sweet 16. 

Mr. PISTOLE. Go Hoosiers. 

Senator COATS. So to the extent you gentlemen can prevent anything serious from distracting during that timeframe, we would be 

most appreciative. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Senator Lautenberg. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR FRANK R. LAUTENBERG

Senator LAUTENBERG. Thanks, Madam Chairman. 

The President set the goal for America to be the top tourist destination in the world, and thanks to the Travel Promotion Act and 

other new policies, we are well on our way. Tourism is a big business even in my small, most densely populated State of New Jersey. People like to see the wonders of that energetic State, and it 

continues to be one of the largest and fastest growing businesses 

in our State. Nationwide the industry is supporting more than 7 

million jobs, and in the next 10 years—think of it—travel and tourism will create 1 million more jobs in the United States. And we 

have to be aggressive in searching those jobs out. 

But our tourism industry can only reach its full potential if travelers are confident that they are going to be safe and secure. And 

as 9/11 showed, a terrorist attack can have a devastating impact 

on our travel industry, in addition to the tragic human toll. 

More than a decade after 9/11, aviation security remains a serious concern, particularly in my home State of New Jersey where 

we have witnessed security lapses at our airport, Newark Liberty, 

one of the busiest airports in the country. And one cannot talk 

about the conditions without remarking about how well our security structure has served. We have had incidents. Incidents, thank 

goodness, that were interrupted along the way show that our people are there. And Mr. Pistole, you have got a good team out there. 

We are looking for perfection. Hard to get but essential as a goal. 

In one incident a carry-on bag containing a knife got past the 

TSA agents at the airport. 

On another occasion, the passengers were able to enter secure 

areas without being screened properly. That one did not have a 

weapon but it did have a love connection. There was one last kiss 

goodbye and the guy just went under the rope and that was it. 

They shut the airport down for 11⁄2 hour. 

Incidents like these raise concerns about our ability to protect 

the public as they move through our aviation system. 

And I also remain concerned about the ability to scan baggage 

effectively as airline baggage fees cause passengers to carry on 

more and bigger bags. And the bottom line is this. We have got to 

make aviation security our primary mission, but where we can 

speed up the process and improve efficiency, we must make these 

investments. 

And I look forward to hearing these witnesses today, Madam 

Chairman, on how we can address the challenges. Thank you. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you so much, Senator Lautenberg. 

Let us begin, if we could, with our first panel. 
7 

I want to welcome Senator Murkowski who has joined us and we 

will go through a round of questioning after our panel. 

Why do we not start, Mr. Administrator, with you? John Pistole, 

of course, has testified many times before this subcommittee, as the 

TSA Administrator. Thomas Winkowski, Acting Deputy Commissioner, CBP; Douglas Smith, Assistant Secretary, DHS for the Private Sector; and David Donahue, Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Visa Services. So we will go in the order that I have called you all. 

John, why do we not begin with you? 

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN S. PISTOLE, ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 

Mr. PISTOLE. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman and Vice Chairman Lautenberg, Ranking Member Coats, and Senator Murkowski. 

Good to see you today. 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify as to what TSA’s ongoing efforts are to provide the most effective security in the most efficient way for the traveling public. 

As you are aware, TSA employs a risk-based, intelligence-driven 

approach to reduce the vulnerability of the Nation’s transportation 

systems to terrorism. Our goal is to maximize security and we are 

accomplishing this through an evolving, multi-layered approach. 

Really at its core, the concept of risk-based security (RBS), as we 

say, is an acknowledgment that we are not in the business of eliminating risk associated with traveling from point A to point B. Our 

objective is to mitigate that risk working with our partners and to 

reduce the potential for anyone to commit a deliberate act against 

our transportation systems. RBS enables our dedicated transportation security officers (TSOs) to focus their attention on those 

travelers we believe are more likely to pose a risk to our transportation network, including those on terrorist watch lists, of course, 

while providing expedited screening and perhaps a better travel experience to those less likely to pose such a risk. 

Through RBS initiatives, TSA is moving closer to its goal of providing the most effective security in the most efficient way possible. 

While a one-size-fits-all construct was necessary after 9/11, technology and intelligence are facilitating and enabling TSA’s move toward an RBS model. 

Perhaps the most widely known RBS initiative is TSA Pre✓TM. 

Since first implementing this effort last fall, we have expanded it 

to 11 airports, including Reagan National and Chicago O’Hare, 

which both began yesterday. More than 540,000 passengers have 

experienced expedited physical screening through TSA Pre✓TM. Effective partnerships with participating airlines, airports, and CBP 

all contribute to this initiative’s success. Airlines work with us to 

invite eligible passengers to participate, while CBP works with us 

to extend TSA Pre✓TM benefits to many members of its Trusted 

Traveler programs including Global Entry. By the end of 2012, we 

expect to be offering expedited security screening in 35 of our busiest airports. We also look forward to working with individual airports on initiatives they may have to expand this also. 

This subcommittee’s support of these efforts has been essential 

and is much appreciated. In fiscal year 2012, the subcommittee included $10 million to fund necessary upgrades to the Secure Flight 
8 

system, a key enabler of TSA Pre✓TM. Yesterday at Reagan National, we extended TSA Pre✓TM benefits to Active Duty U.S. 

Armed Forces members with a common access card (CAC). This initiative also includes Active drilling members of the U.S. National 

Guard and reservists. These travelers are entrusted to protect and 

defend our Nation and its citizens with their lives. So this initiative 

comports with the new law signed by President Obama on January 

3 of this year called the Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act. 

Internationally CBP, of course, operates 14 aviation preclearance 

locations. Each of these locations has been or is scheduled to be 

evaluated by TSA to confirm that preclearance airports are performing checkpoint screening procedures of passengers and accessible property comparable to those of domestic airports. All precleared flights arriving from the 14 preclearance airports are permitted to deplane passengers directly into the sterile area of U.S. 

airports. At this point, checked bags on connecting domestic flights 

will continue to be screened by TSA upon arrival until the screening technology and protocols at preclearance airports conform to 

U.S. standards. 

In addition, under the Beyond the Border initiative, TSA and 

others are working with Transport Canada for mutual recognition 

of checked baggage screening systems. And that is an initiative 

that began last month working closely with them. 

We are also supporting the expansion of the Known Crewmember 

initiative, which you mentioned, Madam Chair, an identity-based 

system which checks uniformed pilots against a database called the 

Common Access Security System to confirm their identity. We have 

had 475,000 pilots go through that thus far and look forward to expanding that as that takes hold in the 10 airports and is expanded 

throughout the country. 

In addition, we are committed to using the behavior detection officers to determine whether a traveler needs additional screening. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

And finally, we are in the final processes of testing technology to 

automatically verify passenger identification documents and boarding passes, strengthening our ability to identify altered or fraudulent documents. And we will be deploying that throughout the rest 

of the year. 

Madam Chair, thank you for the opportunity to appear before 

you today to discuss RBS and the streamlining process for inbound 

international passengers. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN S. PISTOLE

Good morning Chairwoman Landrieu, Ranking Member Coats, and distinguished 

members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today about 

the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) on-going efforts to develop and 

implement a comprehensive risk-based approach to secure our Nation’s transportation systems, and about Department of Homeland Security (DHS) travel programs 

to make domestic and international travel more convenient and efficient for passengers without sacrificing security. 

TSA employs risk-based, intelligence-driven operations to prevent terrorist attacks 

and to reduce the vulnerability of the Nation’s transportation systems to terrorism. 

Our goal at all times is to maximize transportation security to stay ahead of evolv-
9 

ing terrorist threats while protecting privacy and facilitating the flow of legitimate 

commerce. TSA’s security measures create a multi-layered system of transportation 

security that mitigates risk. We continue to evolve our security approach by examining the procedures and technologies we use, how specific security procedures are 

carried out, and how screening is conducted. 

ADOPTING A RISK-BASED SECURITY STRATEGY

Since becoming TSA Administrator, I have solicited the opinions of our key stakeholders and security professionals, our dedicated workforce and our counterparts 

abroad about how TSA can work better and smarter. Based on this feedback, I directed the agency last fall to begin developing a strategy for enhanced risk-based 

security (RBS) in all facets of transportation, including passenger screening, air 

cargo, and surface transportation. 

At its core, the concept of RBS demonstrates a progression of the work TSA has 

been doing throughout its first decade of service to the American people. It is an 

acknowledgment that we are not in the business of eliminating all risk associated 

with traveling from point A to point B. Risk is inherent in virtually everything we 

do. Our objective is to mitigate risk and to reduce, as much as possible without undermining travel and commerce, the potential for anyone to commit a deliberate attack against our transportation systems. 

RBS in the passenger screening context allows our dedicated transportation security officers (TSOs) to focus more attention on those travelers we believe are more 

likely to pose a risk to our transportation network—including those on terrorist 

watch lists—while providing expedited screening, and perhaps a better travel experience, to those we consider pose less risk. 

By utilizing our RBS initiatives, TSA is moving away from a one-size-fits-all security model and closer to its goal of providing the most effective transportation security in the most efficient way possible. While a one-size-fits-all approach was necessary after 9/11 and has been effective over the past decade, two key enablers— 

technology and intelligence—are allowing TSA to move toward a RBS model. 

TSA PRECHECK PROGRAM

Perhaps the most widely known security enhancement we are putting in place is 

TSA PreCheck (Pre✓TM). Since first implementing this idea last Fall, the program 

has been expanded to nine airports and more than 460,000 passengers around the 

country have experienced expedited security screening through TSA Pre✓TM. The 

feedback we’ve been getting is consistently positive. 

The success of TSA Pre✓TM has been made possible by the great partnerships 

with our participating airlines and airports and our sister component, U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection (CBP). The airlines work with us to invite eligible passengers 

to opt into the initiative, and working with CBP we are able to extend TSA Pre✓TM

benefits to any U.S. citizen who is a member of one of CBP’s trusted traveler programs, such as Global Entry, SENTRI, or NEXUS. By the end of 2012, TSA expects 

to be offering passengers in 35 of our Nation’s busiest airports the expedited screening benefits associated with TSA Pre✓TM. 

This subcommittee’s support in these efforts has been essential, and it is deeply 

appreciated. By providing funding for essential technologies and program enhancements, TSA will be positioned to include new airports, air carriers and other populations as participants in TSA Pre✓TM. In fiscal year 2012, Congress appropriated 

an additional $10 million to TSA for upgrades to the Secure Flight system, allowing 

it to incorporate new populations into the low-risk passenger pool. The fiscal year 

2013 President’s budget proposal requests $7 million in fiscal year 2013 which will 

continue to support this new capability. 

Under TSA Pre✓TM, individuals volunteer information about themselves prior to 

flying in order to potentially expedite the travel experience. By learning more about 

travelers through information they voluntarily provide, and combining that information with our multi-layered system of aviation security, TSA can better focus our 

limited resources on higher risk and unknown passengers. This new screening system holds great potential to strengthen security while significantly enhancing the 

travel experience, whenever possible, for passengers. 

TSA pre-screens TSA Pre✓TM passengers each time they fly through participating 

airports. If the indicator embedded in their boarding pass reflects eligibility for expedited screening, the passenger is able to use TSA’s Pre✓TM lane. Currently, eligible participants include certain frequent flyers from American Airlines and Delta 

Air Lines as well as existing members of CBP’s trusted traveler programs who are 

U.S. citizens and are flying on participating airlines. We are actively working with 

other major air carriers, such as United, US Airways, Jet Blue, Hawaiian, and Alas-
10 

ka Airlines, to expand both the number of participating airlines and the number of 

airports where expedited screening through TSA Pre✓TM is provided. In February, 

Secretary Napolitano and I announced the national roll out of TSA Pre✓TM and our 

goal to have the program operating at the 35 busiest domestic airports by the end 

of 2012. 

Because we know more about these passengers, TSA Pre✓TM travelers are able 

to divest fewer items, which may include leaving on their shoes, jacket, and light 

outerwear, and may enjoy other modifications to the standard screening process. As 

always, TSA will continue to incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the security process. At no point are TSA Pre✓TM travelers guaranteed expedited screening. 

Earlier this month, we expanded the TSA Pre✓TM population to include Active 

Duty U.S. Armed Forces members with a Common Access Card, or CAC, traveling 

out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Servicemembers will undergo 

the standard TSA Secure Flight pre-screening, and if we are able to verify the 

servicemembers are in good standing with the Department of Defense, by scanning 

their CAC card at the airport, they will receive TSA Pre✓TM screening benefits, such 

as no longer removing their shoes or light jacket, allowing them to keep their 

laptops in their cases, and their 3–1–1 compliant bags in a carry-on. 

In addition to Active Duty members of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, 

Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, this evaluation will also include Active drilling 

members of the U.S. National Guard and reservists. U.S. servicemembers are entrusted to protect and defend our Nation and its citizens with their lives. In treating 

them as trusted travelers, TSA is recognizing that these members pose little risk 

to aviation security. This evaluation is being conducted in compliance with the 

‘‘Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act,’’ signed into 

law by President Obama on January 3, 2012 (Public Law No. 112–86). 

Streamlining the Process for Inbound International Passengers 

TSA Pre✓TM, as mentioned previously, is being extended to any U.S. citizen who 

is a member of one of CBP’s trusted traveler programs. 

To further expedite the screening process, CBP currently operates 15 international aviation preclearance locations. Each of these locations has been or is 

scheduled to be evaluated by TSA to confirm that preclearance airports are performing checkpoint screening procedures of passengers and accessible property comparable to those of domestic airports and are providing an equivalent level of protection. All precleared flights arriving from the 15 preclearance airports are permitted 

to deplane passengers directly into the sterile area of U.S. airports. However, connecting passengers’ checked baggage intended for connecting domestic flights must 

still be screened by TSA upon arrival in the United States, until the screening technology and protocols at the preclearance airports conform to TSA domestic checked 

baggage requirements. 

To that end, under the Beyond the Border (BTB) initiative, in accordance with 

a joint declaration signed by President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on February 4, 2011, TSA and the National Security Staff (NSS) have 

been working with Transport Canada (TC) toward mutual recognition of the two 

countries’ checked baggage screening systems. Under an action plan, released last 

December, Canada’s eight preclearance airports (Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg) have initiated the process to upgrade their checked baggage screening equipment to TSA-certified explosives detection system (EDS) equipment as the primary checked baggage screening equipment. 

According to the BTB Action Plan, this upgrade, partnered with comparable implementation of TSA-equivalent policies and procedures, will make it unnecessary to 

rescreen checked bags from these Canadian airports when the passengers connect 

in the United States to other flights. 

This upgrading process began on February 11, 2012, and is scheduled to be completed at all Canadian preclearance airports by March 31, 2015. TSA will conduct 

a site visit of each preclearance airport in Canada to ensure checked baggage 

screening procedures provide an equivalent level of protection. 

Additional Security Initiatives 

The following additional recent initiatives to enhance security complement those 

discussed above. 

Known Crewmember.—To build on our risk-based approach to security, we are 

currently supporting efforts to test another identity-based system to enable TSOs 

to positively verify the identity and employment status of airplane pilots. The 

Known Crewmember program is the result of a joint operation between the airline 

industry (Airlines for America) and pilots (Air Line Pilots Association, Inter-
11 

national), which allows uniformed pilots from 22 airlines to show two forms of identification that are checked against a database called the ‘‘Cockpit Access Security 

System,’’ which confirms identity. After more than 2 months into the pilot program, 

and with deployments nearly complete at the seven participating airports, over 

59,000 uniformed pilots have been cleared through the process, with an average of 

nearly 1,900 approvals per day. Like TSA Pre✓TM, Known Crewmember is a clear 

example of TSA’s commitment to focusing its attention and resources on those who 

present the greatest risk, thereby improving security and the travel experience for 

passengers across the country. 

Expanded Behavior Detection.—TSA took steps last fall to expand its behavior detection program that builds on the existing Screening of Passengers by Observation 

Techniques (SPOT) program, which has grown since 2003 to include over 160 airports. Under the Expanded Behavior Detection pilot program, TSOs employ specialized behavioral analysis techniques to determine if a traveler should be referred for 

additional screening at the checkpoint. The vast majority of passengers at the pilot 

airport checkpoints experience a ‘‘casual greeting’’ conversation with a behavior detection officer (BDO) as they pass through travel document verification. This additional interaction, used by security agencies worldwide, enables officers to better 

verify or dispel concerns about suspicious behavior and anomalies. 

Preliminary analysis from Boston, where the pilot is currently being conducted, 

shows an increase in the rate of detection of high-risk passengers. However, additional data is required to understand if the trend seen in the Boston data is statistically significant and replicable at other airports. TSA is currently conducting analyses with the DHS Science and Technology Directorate to estimate the number of 

cases required for validation. In the meantime, we have expanded the pilot program 

to Detroit to collect additional data on incorporating enhanced real-time risk assessments into our other layers of security. 

New Document Assessment Technology.—In addition to testing new procedures for 

low-risk populations, TSA is also employing technology to automatically verify passenger identification documents and boarding passes, providing TSA with a greater 

ability to identify altered or fraudulent documents. This technology, known as Credential Authentication Technology—Boarding Pass Scanning Systems (CAT–BPSS), 

will eventually replace the current procedure used by security officers to detect 

fraudulent or altered documents. CAT–BPSS enhances security and increases efficiency by automatically comparing a passenger’s ID and boarding pass to a set of 

security features to concurrently authenticate them and ensure that the information 

on both match. The system can screen a wide range of travel documents. TSA began 

testing the technology in July 2011 and will deploy and evaluate the technology at 

airports in the near future. 

CONCLUSION

As we review and evaluate the effectiveness of these aviation security enhancements, additional changes to the security screening process may be implemented in 

the future as TSA continues to work toward providing all travelers with the most 

effective security in the most efficient way possible. Of course, TSA will always retain the ability to incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport, and no individual is ever guaranteed expedited screening. 

We appreciate the ongoing support and cooperation of the aviation industry and 

the traveling public as we strive to continue strengthening transportation security 

and improving, whenever possible, the overall travel experience for all Americans. 

The interconnectedness and interdependence of the global economy requires that 

every aspect in aviation security spectrum be as strong as possible. Whether it is 

for business or for pleasure, the freedom to travel from place to place is fundamental 

to our way of life, and to do so securely is a goal to which everyone at TSA is fully 

committed. 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss RBS, the 

streamlining process for inbound international passengers, and TSA’s additional security initiatives. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you so much. 

Tom. 

STATEMENT OF THOMAS S. WINKOWSKI, ACTING DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION 

Good morning, Chairman Landrieu, Vice Chair Lautenberg, Senator Coats, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. 
12 

It is an honor to appear before you today on behalf of the men 

and women of CBP to discuss the important work we do to secure 

and facilitate the flow of passengers into the United States. 

CBP has worked to improve the entry process for visitors to the 

United States, reengineering the way we process travelers while 

also increasing security and expediting the flow of legitimate travel. 

Today I would like to highlight how we are transforming our 

business model, enhancing professionalism, and pursuing advanced 

targeting initiatives to provide a safer, more welcoming environment for visitors coming to the United States. 

In the area of transforming our business model, CBP is continuing to transform the way we do business at our ports of entry. 

For instance, our Trusted Traveler programs expedite processing 

for low-risk, preapproved travelers upon arrival. These programs 

include SENTRI, NEXUS, and Global Entry and have nearly 1.3 

million travelers enrolled. 

Global Entry, our newest program, allows members to bypass the 

regular lines and instead use self-service automated kiosks at 30 

airports. Approximately 4,500 travelers use the kiosks each day, 

which allows CBP to make more efficient use of resources to secure 

and facilitate the flow of passengers. Global Entry typifies the unprecedented partnership we have forged with the travel industry. 

Together we have promoted Global Entry through community outreach events, advertisements, press releases, media events, and 

partnerships with airports and airlines. And as Administrator Pistole indicated, we have also partnered with the TSA to pilot the 

Pre✓TM screening concept, which Global Entry is an integral part 

of. 

In the area of automation, CBP is continually exploring automation opportunities that will bring efficiencies to passenger processing and make more efficient use of resources. The Electronic 

System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) enables DHS to conduct 

enhanced screening of visa waiver program travelers through a 

fully automated online system. This not only helps us determine 

the eligibility of travelers under the visa waiver program, it allows 

us to eliminate the paper I–94W. This has resulted in a 58-percent 

faster processing time and helped us meet these demands of increased passenger volumes. CBP is actively working to automate 

and eliminate the I–94 form for other visitors as soon as possible. 

In the area of professionalism, a CBP officer is the first face an 

international traveler sees on arrival, as you indicated, Chairman, 

and we work actively to promote customer service while maintaining our important law enforcement focus. At the 20 model airports, 

CBP has installed audio and video technology to display informational and welcoming videos for travelers. There are also uniformed 

CBP Passenger Service Managers on site who act as key advocates 

for promoting traveler satisfaction. 

Our work is paying off. A traveler satisfaction survey was conducted in late 2011, which shows that travelers recognize our improvements and are satisfied with our overall arrival process. 

Nearly 90 percent of the travelers agreed that CBP officers are welcoming, provide travelers with the right information, and provide 

entry processing within a short and reasonable time period. CBP 
13 

is working directly with industry partners to develop and maintain 

an ongoing survey process. 

CBP closely monitors traveler wait times and strives to process 

arrivals quickly and as securely as possible. On a typical day, CBP 

processes more than 240,000 incoming international air passengers, and we expect air travel to continue its increasing trends. 

Our current statistics show that 88 percent of travelers wait less 

than 45 minutes for CBP processing and 73 percent of travelers 

wait less than 30 minutes. Although we have achieved some efficiencies, CBP is committed to doing better. 

The search for efficiencies not only contributes to better customer 

service, it helps us work smarter in a tight budget environment. 

This is especially important because CBP relies on user fee collections to fund more than 35 percent of our front-line CBP officers, 

and that is about 7,200 CBP officers. With the fluctuations in travel, that leaves us with a less predictable source of funding for more 

than one-third of our personnel. 

We are identifying staffing requirements through a workload 

staffing model and evaluating alternative funding strategies. Now, 

the workload staffing model employs a data-driven methodology for 

identifying staffing requirements at all ports of entry. It also captures future staffing needs for new and expanded facilities and 

technology deployment. 

In the area of advanced targeting initiatives—— 

Senator LANDRIEU. Tom, try to wrap, if you could. Go ahead. 

Take 15 more seconds. 

Mr. WINKOWSKI. In the area of advanced targeting initiatives, we 

have made great strides. As you have indicated, our travelers need 

to feel safe and we need to make sure that we provide the right 

oversight from the standpoint of keeping dangerous people off our 

airplanes. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

So in conclusion, I appreciate the opportunity to come here today 

and I look forward to your questions. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THOMAS S. WINKOWSKI

Chairman Landrieu, Ranking Member Coats, Vice Chairman Lautenberg, distinguished members of the subcommittee, it is an honor to appear before you today 

to discuss the work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to secure and facilitate the flow of passengers and trade into the United States. We have created 

several programs specifically for this purpose, and it is my pleasure to share some 

of them with you today. 

CBP is engaged in a series of business transformation initiatives to make our inspection processes more effective and efficient. These initiatives involve evaluating 

core processes, incorporating technology enhancements, assessing utilization of law 

enforcement staffing, and developing additional automation efforts. Above all, we remain committed to our multi-layered approach, to include: 

—Transforming Our Business Model.—CBP is working hard to efficiently transform our processes and business models to optimize our current resources. 

—Professionalism and Model Ports.—CBP is revamping our strategies operationally to promote a more responsive workforce that makes the arrivals process 

easier and more welcoming. 

—Advanced Targeting Initiatives.—CBP is proactively working with our security 

partners to identify security risks and threats abroad before they reach our borders. Prevention of these threats is a crucial part of our strategy to ensure travel remains safe and secure. 
14 

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION

CBP has collaborated with industry partners, airlines, and airport stakeholders 

to identify opportunities that will promote travel to the United States and improve 

the traveler experience. We continue to implement new programs that facilitate 

travelers’ arrivals while making the most effective use of our resources. These programs are discussed in greater detail below. 

Trusted Traveler Programs 

Trusted Traveler Programs have been essential to our risk-based approach to facilitate the flow of travelers into the United States. They provide expedited immigration, customs, and agriculture processing upon arrival in the United States for 

pre-approved, low-risk participants through the use of secure and exclusive dedicated lanes and automated kiosks. These programs are predicated on the thorough 

vetting of travelers who have voluntarily applied for membership, paid a fee, and 

provided personal data (including biographic information, photos, and fingerprints) 

to CBP. 

CBP officers ensure that comprehensive database checks have been conducted 

against terrorist watchlist records, criminal history records, active wants/warrants; 

previous customs, immigration, or agriculture violations; investigatory records; and 

other law enforcement records. Participants are vetted every 24 hours to ensure no 

new derogatory information has been identified, and are subject to law enforcement 

checks every time they use one of the program-dedicated lanes or kiosks to enter 

the United States. 

Applicants are denied participation if any disqualifying information is uncovered 

during the application process, or at any time during the traveler’s membership period. Applicants may also be denied if they are suspected of being involved in any 

illicit activity or present a potential risk for terrorism, criminality, or smuggling. 

Currently, almost 1.3 million travelers are enrolled in CBP’s four trusted traveler 

programs: Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI), Free 

and Secure Trade (FAST), NEXUS, and Global Entry. 

—For travelers at our southern land border with Mexico, SENTRI provides expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers through dedicated commuter lanes. CBP has developed and distributed a new, enhanced, trusted-traveler card with increased security features to all SENTRI members. SENTRI 

cards are Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant documents 

for entry into the United States by land or sea, and also provide expedited travel to the United States and Mexico. 

—FAST expedites the processing and release of approved commercial truck drivers making fully qualified trips between the United States and Canada or to 

the United States from Mexico. Commercial trucks using FAST lane processing 

must be a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C–TPAT)-approved 

carrier; carrying qualifying goods destined for a C–TPAT-approved importer; be 

driven by an individual in possession of a valid FAST-commercial driver card; 

and have a high-security seal. On the southern border, manufacturers must also 

be C–TPAT-approved in order for shipments to qualify for FAST release. 

—NEXUS provides expedited CBP processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers 

at pre-clearance airports, land border, and seaport crossings between the United 

States and Canada. NEXUS cards are WHTI-compliant documents for land and 

sea travel, as well as air travel when traveling to and from airports using the 

NEXUS program. 

—Global Entry allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk air travelers 

upon arrival in the United States. Global Entry is available to U.S. citizens and 

U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian citizens and permanent residents, 

Dutch citizens enrolled in the Privium program, Mexican citizens, and citizens 

of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Qatar through limited pilot programs. 

In addition, CBP has entered into joint arrangements with South Korea and 

Panama to allow their qualifying citizens and permanent residents to participate in Global Entry. 

Global Entry is an example of unprecedented partnership with private industry, 

airlines, and airport authorities. Pre-approved, low-risk air travelers may enter the 

United States by using automated kiosks located at one of the 20 selected airports. 

Global Entry allows vetted air passengers to clear CBP inspectional processing 

much faster than general passenger processing. Global Entry membership now includes those travelers enrolled in NEXUS and SENTRI, and the program has surpassed 940,600 eligible users with over 4,000 daily uses. Global Entry automated 

kiosks have been used over 2 million times—saving over 42,400 inspectional hours 

that CBP has reallocated to focus on the regular traveler queues. With Global 
15 

Entry, CBP is able to focus resources on travelers about whom DHS knows the 

least, therefore providing overall enhanced screening to the traveling public. 

Last month, CBP published the Global Entry Final Rule, which makes this highly 

successful program permanent. The rule expands Global Entry to allow children 

under the age of 14 to participate, allowing more families to enjoy the benefits of 

the program. In 2012, CBP will expand the number of airports participating in the 

program to 24 airports. 

Collaborative Efforts 

Strong partnerships with the travel industry allow CBP to leverage different customer bases to identify frequent travelers and potential Global Entry members. We 

have promoted the Global Entry program using advertisements, press releases, 

media events, and partnerships with airlines and conducted community outreach to 

raise awareness of the program. Recognizing the benefits of the program, some travel providers now reimburse top-tier customers for Global Entry application fees and 

we are working with others to expand enrollment. 

CBP also continues to work with our stakeholders to improve the inspection process in ports of entry at airports. This effort includes implementing new programs 

like Express Connection and One-Stop. Both of these programs work cooperatively 

with the air carriers and airports to expedite travel—they reduce missed connections, increase passenger throughput, and enhance the arrival processing experience. 

Express Connection is designed to facilitate the processing of travelers with closely scheduled connecting flights to reduce missed connections, and is available at 11 

of the Nation’s busiest airports. Working closely with participating airlines, CBP 

dedicates personnel to identify and direct pre-selected travelers who can use designated Express Connection primary booths. 

Through our One-Stop program, airport operators and airlines provide a streamlined processing option for those travelers who have no checked luggage. Dedicated 

lanes provided by CBP for One-Stop identified travelers are located at Houston 

(IAH) and New York City (JFK) International Airports. CBP is pleased with the initial success of the Express Connection and One-Stop programs, and is considering 

further expansion of each. 

Our partners at TSA are applying intelligence-driven, risk-based screening methods to domestic travel to improve security and expedite travel for those passengers 

about whom we know the most. The TSA Pre✓TM initiative broadens the scope of 

benefits available to CBP Trusted Travelers by enabling expedited screening at 

dedicated lanes within TSA Pre✓TM airports. Going forward, CBP and TSA will continue to work together to strengthen security while significantly enhancing the travel experience for low-risk travelers. 

Automation and Technology 

CBP is continually exploring additional automation opportunities that will provide 

greater efficiencies in the passenger processing environment while allowing for a 

more effective use of existing resources. Some changes that we have adopted range 

from new technologies to eliminating unnecessary paperwork, saving inspection 

hours for CBP officers. 

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a security enhancement 

to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that was developed pursuant to the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. ESTA is a fully 

automated travel authorization system used to collect information from travelers 

planning to travel by air or sea to the United States under the VWP. An approved 

ESTA application is mandatory for all VWP travelers prior to commencing travel 

by air or sea to the United States. The information submitted by applicants is 

screened against appropriate law enforcement databases, including the terrorist 

watch list, to determine the eligibility of travelers to travel to the United States 

under the VWP, and whether such travel poses a law enforcement or security risk. 

Through ESTA, CBP was able to automate the I–94W form, which was previously 

used by over 60 percent of travelers arriving by air to the United States, and eliminate the paper form. The result is 58 percent faster processing time for travelers 

under the VWP. This time savings has resulted in more efficient processing in most 

airports and has helped CBP meet the demands of increased passenger volumes. 

CBP is currently working with DHS partners to automate the standard I–94 form 

used by all other, non-VWP visitors entering the United States. 

There have also been many automation improvements in the land environment 

through our Land Border Initiative (LBI). Radio frequency identification (RFID) 

technology, improved license plate readers, and the Vehicle Primary Client remain 

the key to facilitating travel by allowing traveler information to be pre-positioned 
16 

for our officers and automatically queried via law enforcement databases as the vehicle approaches the primary inspection. Vehicle Primary Client is a next generation 

computer upgrade that allowed CBP officers to quickly verify the validity of travel 

documents and make determinations regarding the admissibility of persons. Simultaneously, WHTI increases the security of U.S. land borders by requiring travelers 

to present a securely issued travel document, which can be verified electronically 

in real-time, to establish identity and citizenship. 

The use of RFID technology and the promotion of new RFID document options 

allows for the transition of travelers from less efficient to more efficient processing 

methods. Passenger name law enforcement queries stemming from RFID travel documents are 20 percent faster than queries conducted with a machine readable document and 60 percent faster than a manual entry with a paper document such as 

a birth certificate. As of February 2012, there are more than 13 million RFID-enabled documents in the hands of travelers. As part of WHTI, CBP greatly increased 

its use of technology in the land border environment; this technology is now integral 

to CBP operations, providing clear security and facilitation benefits. 

PROFESSIONALISM AND MODEL PORTS

CBP and our travel industry partners have worked together to improve processes 

for welcoming travelers into our country while maintaining the highest levels of security and professionalism. CBP has taken a proactive management approach in addressing passenger processing issues and is constantly working in partnership with 

airport authorities, airlines, and the travel industry to identify new ways to more 

efficiently facilitate the entry process. 

Model Ports 

The Model Ports program was created to make the entry process more streamlined, understandable, and welcoming. The program is in place at the top 20 airports by volume: Washington-Dulles, Houston (IAH), Atlanta, Boston, Dallas/Ft. 

Worth, Chicago (ORD), Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, 

Miami, Newark, New York (JFK), Orlando, Philadelphia, Sanford (FL), San Juan, 

San Francisco, and Seattle. 

Some of those best practices of the Model Ports program include the establishment of the Passenger Service Manager (PSM) position, a key advocate for promoting traveler satisfaction. The PSM is a uniformed CBP manager able to: respond 

to traveler complaints or concerns; oversee issues related to travelers requiring special processing; observe overall traveler processing; address issues on site as they 

occur; and provide recommendations for improvement of traveler processing and 

professionalism. The PSM also provides training to managers, supervisors, and officers on customer service and professionalism issues; collects and analyzes reports 

concerning professionalism and traveler satisfaction; and promotes public awareness 

of the CBP mission through distribution of public information bulletins, brochures, 

and comment cards. 

There are full-time PSMs stationed at each of the 20 Model Ports. Photographs 

and contact information for all PSMs are prominently displayed for maximum traveler visibility and access. In partnership with airport authorities and airlines, CBP 

also implemented the use of special service representatives to aid in directing travelers to open CBP primary booths and ensure CBP forms are completed prior to arrival in the processing area. Under the program, we have also significantly improved signage that is clear and concise for international travelers. 

CBP has installed and implemented audio and video technology in the passport 

primary queuing area in order to display CBP’s informational video, ‘‘Welcome to 

the United States ‘Simple as 1, 2, 3’,’’ which presents travelers with step-by-step instructions on what to expect during CBP processing. The video is subtitled in eight 

languages and is seen by over 25 million visitors each year. CBP also partnered 

with Walt Disney Corporation to create a video at our Model Ports depicting images 

of America that provide a warm welcome to arriving visitors and resonate with U.S. 

citizens returning home. 

Another example of successful partnership with industry partners and stakeholders resulted in significant improvements to the facilities at the Orlando International Airport. A working group that included DHS agencies, the Port of Orlando, 

and private sector participants resulted in improved queuing, streamlined signage, 

a more welcoming interior decor, and foreign-language-speaking passenger facilitation. This local effort is considered a model for ports across the country and we are 

looking to highlight similar efforts in the future. 
17 

Traveler Satisfaction Survey 

As a result of CBP’s commitment to improve customer service, CBP and the DHS 

Private Sector Office developed and deployed a traveler satisfaction survey to benchmark passenger satisfaction at the 20 Model Ports of Entry. The survey was conducted by Medforce Government Solutions (MGS), under a CBP contract, to evaluate 

CBP’s performance in achieving Model Port goals. 

The traveler satisfaction survey for all 20 Model Ports began in October 2011 and 

was completed in November 2011. MGS used personal digital assistant (PDA) devices to collect data from English-speaking travelers; travelers speaking other languages were given paper surveys. The survey findings indicate that: 

—Nearly 90 percent of travelers agree that CBP officers are welcoming; 

—Over 90 percent of travelers agree that CBP is providing the right information 

to travelers, at the right time and in a hospitable manner; 

—Over 80 percent of travelers agree that CBP is creating a calm, pleasant Customs waiting area; and 

—Nearly 90 percent of travelers feel that the entry processing time is either short 

or reasonable. 

Travelers have expressed high satisfaction with the way CBP is managing its 

entry process and providing timely and friendly customer service. We are still analyzing the results of this survey and working directly with industry partners to develop and maintain an ongoing survey process to maintain a feedback loop with our 

travelers so that improvements continue. 

Aligned with the customer service survey initiative, CBP revitalized the comment 

card program. Comment cards are available in the CBP areas at airports and can 

be filled out by travelers wishing to express their views of CBP processing. Each 

card is collected and the results are shared with the ports of entry, and if necessary 

referred for additional investigation. CBP has improved the format of the card made 

the cards more accessible to the traveling public, provided more analysis and feedback for the ports of entry, and taken corrective action where necessary. 

Reducing Wait Times 

In addition to proven improvements to the traveler experience, we closely monitor 

wait times for international travelers. CBP strives to process arriving travelers, regardless of the port environment, as quickly as possible while maintaining the highest standards of security. 

Current statistics show that the 88 percent of travelers wait less than 45 minutes 

for processing and 73 percent of travelers wait less than 30 minutes for processing 

at airports. The national wait time average in fiscal year 2011 was about 22 minutes. 

Although CBP continues to address ways to manage wait times, other issues affect wait times, including concurrent arrivals that exceed the capacity of the airport 

and the need to staff multiple terminals. To address these challenges, CBP is implementing an aggressive, multi-pronged mitigation strategy to enhance air passenger 

facilitation over the near and mid term. The near term strategy includes: 

—More effective use of existing resources; 

—Partnerships with carriers and airport authorities on facilitation measures; and 

—Enhanced risk segmentation through increases in trusted traveler program 

membership. 

In the mid-term, CBP will focus on optimizing front-line staffing resources and 

transforming business processes. Critical elements of this strategy include: 

—Transforming and reengineering current business processes; 

—Implementing alternative funding strategies to expand services at requesting locations; and 

—Accurately identifying staffing requirements through a rigorous, audited, workload staffing model. 

Our port directors identify peak processing periods well in advance based on historical data and real time operational information provided by carriers and airport 

authorities. With this advanced information, directors make appropriate operational 

adjustments, including restricting annual leave and administrative functions during 

peak processing periods, expanding pre-primary roving operations, utilizing cargo 

lanes for passenger processing as much as possible, and adjusting individual schedules and lane assignments. 

The airport wait time console is used to report on primary processing passenger 

wait times at the top 63 air ports of entry. This data is based on measurements 

of time intervals between the arrival of the aircraft and the processing of the passenger on primary. The wait time for each arriving passenger is recorded, and aggregates of these wait times may be obtained based on the individual flight, class 

of admission, time of day, or any other data element associated with an arriving air 
18 

passenger. CBP reports wait times on our public Web site, and we continue to refine 

the reporting. 

The airport wait time console real time flightboard utilizes live data feeds from 

multiple sources to create a view of passenger arrival data that allows CBP field 

operations personnel to make optimal staffing decisions. By taking into account such 

factors as aircraft arrival time, facility constraints, as well as passenger volume and 

admission class, CBP field operations management is able to foresee how changes 

in any of the elements will require corresponding adjustments to staffing in order 

to meet our passenger wait time goals. CBP is currently testing this program at airports such as JFK and LAX, and we expect to expand the program to additional 

airports later this year. 

Workload Staffing Model 

CBP is also developing a workload staffing model (WSM), employing a rigorous, 

data-driven methodology for identifying staffing requirements at the air, land, and 

sea ports. The WSM considers all business processes required of CBPOs, the workload associated with those business processes, and the true level of effort required 

to effectively carry out the mission on a daily basis. The WSM identifies the suggested personnel necessary to accomplish the critical daily mission, and it also captures future staffing requirements for new or enhanced facilities and technology deployments. 

Professionalism: Enhanced CBP Officer Training 

CBP has also improved its training of CBP officers to ensure the highest level of 

professionalism. In 2008, CBP began working on a comprehensive basic training 

program for new officers. This new training program was launched in February 

2011. The new curriculum includes three mandatory components: a 15-day pre-academy, an 89-day basic academy and a post-academy training program that ends as 

the trainee completes his or her probationary period. 

The goal of these programs is to produce a professional law enforcement officer 

who possesses the skills necessary to effectively carryout CBP’s critical mission. The 

programs prepare trainees mentally, physically, and ethically to meet the challenges 

and demands of a law enforcement position and equips them with the specific skills 

needed to perform their duties with a high level of competence. 

Partnership With Brand USA 

CBP is committed to the goal of facilitating lawful travel and fully supports efforts 

to expand legitimate travel and tourism to the United States. In support of these 

efforts, CBP has worked with Brand USA (formerly the Corporation for Travel Promotion) since it was established by the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. Brand USA 

was created for the purpose of encouraging travelers from all over the world to visit 

the United States of America. The public-private marketing entity was created in 

2010 to work in close partnership with the travel industry maximizing the social 

and economic benefit of travel in communities around the country. CBP works closely with Brand USA to promote CBP programs such as ESTA and Global Entry and 

to identify ways of improving the traveler experience at U.S. ports of entry based 

on feedback from the customer satisfaction survey. 

Proposal To Seek Reimbursement Authority for Outlier Services 

CBP believes that providing additional services that are not currently offered such 

as service for additional flights, new airports, or land border crossings and pre-clearance operations are in the best interest of the traveling public and economic prosperity. The current statutory limitations on CBP’s authority to receive outside funding, except in narrowly defined instances, have prevented us from receiving reimbursement from private sector and international, State, and local partners. In turn, 

CBP has had to deny requested services or the provision of services without reimbursement. Therefore, through the fiscal year 2013 budget request, we are seeking 

the passage of a proposal that provides the necessary authority to consider and approve the provision of inspectional services for full reimbursement at domestic or 

international airports, seaports, land border environments other than user fee facilities currently defined in 19 U.S.C. section 58(b). The underlying objective is to allow 

CBP to provide additional services at ports that it otherwise could not provide without reimbursement. 

ADVANCED TARGETING INITIATIVES

CBP has also placed a great emphasis in targeting potential security and law enforcement threats prior to their arrival in the United States and specifically, prior 

to boarding a U.S.-bound flight through its pre-departure targeting strategy. To ac-
19 

complish this strategy, CBP has expanded and reorganized operations at the National Targeting Centers, enhanced the Immigration Advisory Program (IAP), increased international partnerships, and participated in new initiatives such as the 

U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border plan. 

National Targeting Center 

The NTC was established in November 2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks to 

provide advance passenger targeting, research, and coordination among numerous 

law enforcement and intelligence agencies on a 24/7 basis in support of the CBP 

anti-terrorism mission. Following the attempted bombing of Northwest flight 253 in 

December 2009, the NTC re-engineered its targeting operations with an increased 

emphasis on pre-departure targeting and interdiction, outbound targeting, and the 

re-vetting of previously issued U.S. visas. 

To increase its focus on pre-departure, the NTC not only expanded its operations 

significantly, but also accelerated its response time. The additional workload and 

time-sensitive analysis required process, technical, and resource enhancements. As 

a result, CBP has had to maximize the effectiveness of advanced technology and information, intelligence, databases (classified, law enforcement, commercial, and 

open-source), domestic and international partnerships, and well-trained human resources to effectively screen, review, identify, and prioritize passengers, cargo, and 

agriculture across all international modes of transportation, inbound and outbound. 

Immigration Advisory Program and Regional Carrier Liaison Groups 

The Immigration Advisory Program is a partnership between DHS/CBP, foreign 

governments, and commercial air carriers to identify and prevent high-risk travelers 

who are likely to be inadmissible into the United States from boarding U.S.-bound 

flights. CBP officer teams are deployed to work with foreign law enforcement and 

air carriers at key airports in host countries. IAP teams work collaboratively to 

identify high-risk passengers with targeting support from the NTC and/or an assessment of passengers and their documentation. IAP extends the zone of security beyond the physical borders; CBP officer presence in foreign locations provides the onsite capability to question and assess travelers and serve as a direct liaison with 

foreign authorities. 

The Regional Carrier Liaison Groups (RCLG), located at airports in New York 

(JFK), Miami, and Honolulu, also work closely with carriers to provide information 

prior to passenger travel. Using various targeting methods, they prevent passengers 

who may be inadmissible, or who possess fraudulent documents, from traveling to 

the United States. Recommendations are made to the carriers regarding suspect 

travelers. 

The work of the IAP and RCLG has resulted in substantial savings for both carriers and the U.S. Government. The Federal Government saves costs associated 

with processing and detention of inadmissible persons, while carriers can avoid fines 

associated with bringing improperly documented aliens. 

Preclearance 

Preclearance provides for the inspection and clearance of commercial air passengers and their goods prior to departure from 15 foreign locations in five countries 

in support of CBP’s extended border strategy. All mission requirements (agriculture, 

customs, and immigration) are completed at preclearance locations prior to departure enabling CBP to prevent inadmissible travelers and prohibited goods from entering the United States, and to protect U.S. agricultural infrastructure from foreign 

pests, disease and global outbreaks. Preclearance supports CBP’s initiative to extend the borders outward and is part of the DHS strategic plan to deploy technology 

systems overseas to detect radiological threats before they leave foreign territories. 

A preclearance inspection is the same inspection an individual would experience 

at any United States port of entry, except it is conducted on foreign territory. As 

a result, the individual does not have to undergo a United States Government inspection again upon arrival in the United States. Instead, the traveler merely arrives at a United States domestic terminal facility and either connects to a United 

States domestic flight or leaves the airport. 

Passengers are afforded the benefits of making quick domestic and international 

connections and by having their checked luggage automatically transferred between 

flights by air carriers without being claimed. Meanwhile, United States airports 

enjoy the benefit of reduced passenger delays in the international arrival area. 

CONCLUSION

CBP is a world-class law enforcement agency—every day we are working to keep 

air, land, and maritime travel safe and secure, while providing professional services 
20 

to our travelers. Air travel has increased by 3 percent in the past year, requiring 

more efficient processing for our travelers. As the industry is expected to grow even 

further in the coming year, we are positioned to respond with improved customer 

service and greater efficiency while engaging in techniques that identify threats before they arrive in the United States. We are holding CBP officers to a higher standard of professionalism and interpersonal conduct. Further, we will continue to take 

a proactive approach and engage in programs and initiatives that enhance security 

and expedite the flow of legitimate travel. Through business transformation, professionalism, and targeting initiatives, CBP is working to realize our goals and maintain traveler confidence that we are doing our best to keep air travel safe and secure. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I look forward to your 

questions. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you so much. 

Doug. 

STATEMENT OF DOUGLAS A. SMITH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, PRIVATE 

SECTOR OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you, Chairman Landrieu. 

The timing of this hearing could not be better. I was thrilled to 

hear you mention the President’s announcement in Orlando last 

month. As important as that announcement and calling attention 

to travel and tourism is who is at this table. We are not just here 

today as a one-time deal. The four of us literally talk every single 

day. 

In my role as the Secretary’s Assistant Secretary for the Private 

Sector, what she looks for me to do is to coordinate across the entire Department and the interagency how to best work with the 

travel industry. As important are the people sitting behind me: 

Roger Dow, Airlines for America (A4A), and all of our partners in 

the travel industry. We are reaching out to them and working with 

them every single day looking for ways to create better efficiencies, 

looking at ways to increase throughput at airports, but to your 

point, Senator Coats, never compromising security. We firmly believe we can have both. It is the standard the President and the 

Secretary of Homeland Security hold us to. We can do both. We can 

facilitate travel to the highest degree possible and at the same time 

keep America safe whether it is for exciting events, Senator, next 

week in your hometown, the final four, perhaps we need a followup hearing, Senator Coats, down there in New Orleans for the final 

four championships. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Good idea. I should have thought of that. 

Mr. SMITH. In New Jersey in the work we are doing at Newark 

International Airport to expedite travelers through so when they 

take those long flights back from Singapore, they are not standing 

in lines. 

We are committed across the entire Federal enterprise to continue to raise the bar. 

Since we came into office 3 years ago, we have put exciting programs into place. In fact, we have now through the programs such 

as Global Entry, TSA Pre✓TM, broken the million-person mark of 

people that have those benefits. These people with those expedited 

travel benefits are already showing what can happen at our airports. 

What we are doing in Orlando in the Model Ports program—the 

lessons learned there, we have been able to take across the country. I held a field hearing down there about 1 year ago, brought in 
21 

20 stakeholders from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, 

Gatorland, the airport authority, local members down there to talk 

about how we could improve the system, how we could make the 

welcoming experience better. Everybody came together. The 

achievements we learned there and working it across the Federal 

Government and our private-sector partners has given us the 

learnings to take across the country to not just the top 20 airports 

in the Model Ports program, but where we are expanding. 

There is a lot of work to do and we realize that, but it is this 

partnership that I can say has never been stronger. My partners 

in the private industry are not shy about reaching out and calling 

on a regular basis. But we are not shy about asking for help, asking for their help, and helping us grow our expedited traveler programs, helping us think through ways to better market to consumers. 

We are in the security business at DHS. My colleagues, Tom 

Winkowski and Administrator Pistole, are the best that there are. 

We rely on their counsel on a daily basis. But it is an integrated 

team, a team that extends to the United States Secret Service, to 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to the Coast Guard, and 

looks at innovative solutions to help keep the country safe and at 

the same time support our friends in the travel industry as they 

work diligently to grow this incredibly important driver of our 

economy. 

I know this week you will be talking to some of your colleagues 

on the possible expansion on the visa waiver program. It is a program we watch carefully. As you know, we have talked with many 

of your colleagues on areas in that program. It is an important tool. 

But there are many tools out there. 

With the time I have left, the one thing I would like to stress 

is it is about a partnership. We are committed. We are putting everything we have against this. Whether it is Secretary Napolitano, 

Secretary Salazar, Secretary Bryson in chairing the Travel and 

Tourism Advisory Board, the President, we are putting all that we 

have against it. But it is a partnership with private industry, with 

the administration, and with the Congress. Your colleagues, Senator Blunt and Senator Klobuchar, in chairing the Travel and 

Tourism Caucus in the Senate, have been phenomenal partners 

with the insights and the ideas they have given us. Your colleagues 

over on the House, Congressman Bonner and Congressman Farr, 

are equally supportive in giving us ideas. But that is how we are 

going to improve. 

To your point, Senator Coats, you are right. Budgets are not 

growing. They are shrinking and it is why we need to continue to 

close ranks, be as creative as we can to work with what we have. 

We could always use more. Everybody knows that. But we are confident that in working closely in these partnerships with private industry, with the Congress, across the administration, we will continue to find efficiencies and support the absolute critical path of 

growing tourism into this country. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your questions. 

[The statement follows:] 
22 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DOUGLAS A. SMITH

Chairman Landrieu, Vice Chairman Lautenberg, Senator Coats, and distinguished members of the subcommittee: 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today about the Department of Homeland 

Security’s (DHS) current major travel initiatives. 

My name is Douglas Smith, and I am the Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector at DHS. I am the primary advisor to the Secretary on how DHS impacts the 

private sector, opportunities for public-private partnership, and how DHS impacts 

the economy. 

In my capacity as the Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector, I have served 

as the Department’s representative on interagency working groups on travel and 

tourism, such as the Tourism Policy Council and the recently established Task Force 

on Travel and Competitiveness. Additionally, I am the DHS ex-officio member of the 

U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB), which advises the U.S. Government on policies and programs that affect the travel and tourism industry. I also 

serve on the President’s Export Council on travel and tourism issues 

Given the President’s recent Executive Order 13597, ‘‘Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing Goals and the Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness,’’ 

and the growth of a number of DHS travel and tourism-related programs and initiatives, today’s hearing is especially timely. 

THE DEPARTMENT’S EFFORTS ON TRAVEL AND TOURISM

At the onset, I want to stress DHS’s commitment to the President’s critically important initiative. There is no better area in which to showcase our dual goal of economic and national security than our work to foster and facilitate travel to and 

within the United States. My testimony will provide a brief overview of DHS support of the larger U.S. Government effort to foster and facilitate a thriving travel 

and tourism industry, the engagement my office has had with our private sector 

partners, and the steps DHS is taking to improve the traveler experience. 

Every year tens of millions of tourists from all over the world travel to see firsthand this great country. DHS plays a primary role in the facilitation of what 

amounted to a $134 billion industry in 2010. We secure passengers and their luggage before they board planes, we screen travelers as they enter our borders, and 

we play an important role in the visa process, among many other responsibilities. 

This is why Secretary Napolitano has made the facilitation and security of travel 

and tourism a priority for the Department. We are taking concrete steps at the 

President’s direction, and are working closely with Congress and the Office of Management and Budget, to boost America’s tourism industry so that we can grow our 

economy and create more jobs while continuing to secure our country. At DHS we 

believe the goals of economic prosperity and national security are fundamentally 

intertwined. 

At the interagency level, Federal Government collaboration to foster travel and 

tourism has never been stronger. President Obama’s Executive order on January 19, 

2012, has resulted in a coordinated interagency effort to streamline the visa 

issuance process, strengthen the Visa Waiver Program and trusted traveler programs, provide useful and accessible travel information online, and develop our 

country’s first National Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Strategy. Through the 

interagency leadership of Secretary of Commerce Bryson and Secretary of the Interior Salazar, DHS works every day toward these commitments. 

I am also proud to say DHS is continuously striving to meaningfully incorporate 

and involve the travel and tourism industry in the policy-making process. Some of 

the stakeholders we regularly work with include the U.S. Travel Association, Airports Council International, Airlines for America, and—because this is a global effort—the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As Secretary Napolitano’s 

representative to the TTAB, I work to ensure DHS has a formal, structured working 

relationship with the travel industry, engaging businesses on issues that matter 

most to industry. When the TTAB submits recommendations on behalf of industry, 

we not only share those perspectives with the appropriate program managers and 

leadership within DHS, but we also work with industry to leverage their expertise 

and partnership in identifying solutions to their recommendations. We have worked 

with businesses to share their best practices on customer service and queue management, promote DHS programs and initiatives, and we have even encouraged our 

ports of entry to engage and work directly with their industry stakeholders. 

Through our work with the TTAB and others, the travel and tourism industry is 

fully engaged in operations and policies that impact them. Agency-wide DHS is responsive to their needs and concerns. We are focused on making America as safe 
23 

and as easy as possible to visit, and we view industry as a resource and a critical 

partner in this effort. 

THE TRAVELER EXPERIENCE

The Department is working at each step of the travel experience to increase the 

number of legitimate travelers to the United States and facilitate their journey and 

entry in a safe and efficient way. I will describe examples pre-arrival, on arrival, 

and while traveling within the United States. 

As potential tourists are making their travel plans, DHS is a part of the effort 

to promote the United States as the destination of choice. In fiscal year 2011, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) managed the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee which collected over $116 million for the Corporation for 

Travel Promotion. ESTA fees are paid by travelers seeking to enter the United 

States under the Visa Waiver Program. The corporation, established by the 2010 

Travel Promotion Act, is a public-private organization charged with promoting travel to the United States. The CBP ESTA Program is expected to collect the same 

amount, if not more, this fiscal year. My colleagues at CBP and I are closely engaged in that effort as the Corporation for Travel Promotion implements its global 

marketing strategy ‘‘BrandUSA.’’ In addition, as directed by the President’s Executive order, the interagency Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness, is developing 

a National Travel and Tourism Strategy to promote domestic and international travel opportunities to and throughout the United States. 

After foreign tourists decide to travel to the United States, many must apply for 

a visa. DHS is currently collaborating with the Department of State (DoS) to 

strengthen visa processing, and facilitate legitimate travel and tourism. Under a 

new pilot, in select circumstances, qualified foreign visitors who were interviewed 

and thoroughly screened in conjunction with a prior visa application may be able 

to renew their visas without undergoing another interview. All applicants will still 

undergo thorough screening against inter-agency databases. However, this initiative 

will free resources to interview more first-time applicants. The resulting reduced 

visa application wait times are expected to encourage travel and tourism to the 

United States, especially among travelers from emerging markets. DHS is committed to supporting DoS in its goal to increase by 40 percent nonimmigrant visa 

processing capacity in China and Brazil specifically. 

When visitors arrive at our borders, CBP is improving the arrivals experience to 

make it more welcoming. Working with some of the most recognized brands in the 

tourism industry, CBP has improved passenger service training for our front-line officers, streamlined signage at our ports of entry, and implemented programs to 

speed passenger traffic through Federal Inspection Services areas. 

In addition to our internal efforts to make the ports of entry more welcoming, 

DHS recognizes that each port is unique in its facilities and the airlines, passengers, 

and local industry that it serves. For this reason, we have emphasized the importance of local external collaboration at each port of entry, where local companies, 

the airport authority, and DHS entities can engage in dialogue and work together 

to improve the port at the field level. Our first effort launched in Orlando, where 

DHS and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority worked with the local travel and 

tourism industry to improve the signage and port facilities. Out of this partnership, 

DHS was also able to accommodate a new daily flight from Brazil to Orlando. This 

flight currently brings more than 200 tourists to Orlando every day. Local industry 

estimates this flight will have a $100 million annual economic impact. More 

achievements like this will be accomplished through collaboration at the local level, 

when airport, industry, and DHS entities are able to meet shared challenges and 

opportunities together. 

A cornerstone of the Department’s efforts to provide a more efficient and welcoming experience for travelers entering the country is Global Entry. This program 

facilitates expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers through the use 

of automated kiosks. CBP now has surpassed 940,600 eligible users enrolled in the 

Global Entry program with over 4,000 daily uses. Travelers have used automated 

Global Entry kiosks in more than 2 million transactions at 22 airports, freeing more 

than 42,400 inspection hours that DHS has re-allocated to focus on the regular passenger queues. The result is reduced wait times for all passengers. Global Entry will 

soon expand to additional airports, serving approximately 97 percent of international travelers, and now allows children under 14 to participate for the first 

time. Global Entry also benefits from our engagement with business. Working with 

credit card companies, hotel companies, and airlines to promote the program to their 

most loyal customers has resulted in significantly increased enrollment volumes. 
24 

Within the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has 

implemented a new passenger pre-screening pilot TSA PreCheck (Pre✓TM) to facilitate expedited checkpoint screening at select domestic airports. TSA Pre✓TM is open 

to any U.S. citizen who is a member of one of CBP’s trusted traveler programs, such 

as Global Entry, SENTRI, or NEXUS at participating airports and airlines. While 

this program is currently only available to U.S. citizens on domestic flights, TSA 

Pre✓TM allows TSA to better allocate limited resources and focus on higher risk passengers, further streamlining the travel experience. 

The examples above illustrate how DHS is working to foster and facilitate a thriving travel and tourism industry, while maintaining the highest security standards, 

across the entire tourism experience—from pre-trip planning, to domestic travel. 

DHS continues to welcome the input and engagement of private sector and congressional stakeholders, as well as the traveling public to pursue our mission in an increasingly innovative, efficient, and effective way. 

CONCLUSION

Chairman Landrieu, Vice Chairman Lautenberg, Senator Coats, and distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you again for this opportunity to testify on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security. DHS is committed to the 

whole-of-government effort to support a thriving travel and tourism industry so significant to our economy while maintaining the highest standards of security. I thank 

the subcommittee for its support of the Department’s efforts. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you so much, Doug. I really sincerely 

appreciate your enthusiasm and your focus and the administration’s focus on this because it is a significant part of our responsibility to keep the country secure but also to grow jobs, and this is 

a very important part of our economy. 

I am going to turn this over to my vice chair and the good hands 

of my ranking member, and Mr. Donahue, if you will proceed. I am 

going to go early for the vote and then come back. Thank you. 

STATEMENT OF DAVID T. DONAHUE, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

FOR VISA SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

Mr. DONAHUE. Good morning, Vice Chairman Lautenberg, fellow 

Hoosier, Ranking Member Coats, and Senator Murkowski. Lots of 

Hoosiers in the room today. 

Thank you for calling this important hearing today. My testimony will focus on the State Department’s role in facilitating legitimate travel of international visitors to the United States as a part 

of the administrations’ broader initiatives as outlined in Executive 

Order 13597. 

I have also submitted my full written statement to be entered 

into the record. 

Streamlining access to U.S. Visa Services will complement our 

collective efforts to capture a greater share of the global tourism 

market. The visa application process is a small but important component of this effort. In the last year, more than 62 million foreign 

visitors entered the United States according to the Department of 

Commerce. About 60 percent of travelers entered legally without 

visas, another 20 percent on previously issued visas, and only 

about 12 percent on visas obtained just before their travel. 

The Executive order directs the State Department to increase 

visa adjudication capacity in China and Brazil by 40 percent and 

to ensure that consular officers interview 80 percent of applicants 

worldwide within 3 weeks of submitting their applications. I am 

pleased to testify today that we are meeting this challenge without 

compromising the security of our Nation’s borders or the safety of 

our fellow citizens. 
25 

In fiscal year 2011, consular officers adjudicated 17 percent more 

non-immigrant visas than the previous year. The growing demand 

for non-immigrant visas in China and Brazil alone is astonishing. 

In China, consular officers processed more than 1 million non-immigrant visa applications last year; in Brazil, more than 800,000 

applications, which was a 42-percent increase from the year before. 

In line with the Executive order to increase our visa application 

capacity, we are adding over 100 visa adjudicators this year and 

next in China and Brazil, both Foreign Service officers and new 

hires through a pilot limited non-career appointment program that 

targets applicants who already speak Mandarin and Portuguese. 

We expect the first group of these special hires to arrive at post 

in China and Brazil in the next couple of weeks. 

We have reduced and are maintaining short wait times in Brazil 

and China while processing 64 percent more cases in Brazil and 34 

percent more cases in China. And today our wait times in China 

are all under 8 days, and in Brazil we have 35 days in Sao Paulo 

despite huge increases in visa processing, 21 days in Brasilia, and 

14 days in Recife, and Rio de Janeiro. We are working to push 

those numbers down. They work Saturday in Sao Paulo to get another 1,500 to come up to Disney World and other places they want 

to come in the United States. 

I want to assure you that we are planning and preparing to handle the growing demand for visas from fast-growing economies. We 

are expanding our facilities, adding a total of 48 new interview 

windows throughout China and 19 in Brazil. We are assessing the 

feasibility of opening more consulates in Brazil and China. Our 

teams were recently on the ground in these countries to assess the 

new consulate locations. Of course, we need the cooperation of the 

host governments of those countries to carry this through. 

We are continually looking for more efficient ways to improve the 

applicant’s experience particularly since a trip to the Embassy is 

often the foreign visitors first impression of the United States. 

With DHS concurrence on January 19, 2012, the State Department and DHS initiated a 2-year pilot program to streamline visa 

processing for low-risk applicants based on terms and conditions 

agreed between our agencies and implemented in accordance with 

the Immigration and Nationality Act requirements. The pilot program permits officers to waive interviews for certain categories of 

qualified visa applicants. This program is focused mainly on visa 

renewal applicants and is in the process of being implemented at 

some of our busiest overseas posts, including Brazil, China, Mexico, 

India, and Russia. We are working with our partners in the U.S. 

Government to consider additional countries for membership in the 

visa waiver program. 

In addition to our ongoing efforts to streamline the visa application process, the State Department will continue working to promote travel in the United States through a cadre of economic and 

commercial officers, as well as our public and cultural affairs officers who are identifying key audiences and ensuring the message 

about travel to the United States reach them in the most appropriate context, formats, and languages. 

As President Obama has said, we will always protect our borders, our shores, and our tourist destinations from people who 
26 

want to do us harm, but we want to get more international tourists 

coming to America. And there is no reason we cannot do both. The 

State Department is firmly committed to supporting the President’s 

travel and tourism initiatives, opening the door to new jobs and exports. We have a priority to make it a priority to increase our capacity while maintaining strict security standards. Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

This concludes my testimony today, and I will be pleased to take 

your questions. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF DAVID T. DONAHUE

Chairman Landrieu, Ranking Member Coats, and distinguished members of the 

subcommittee, it is a distinct honor to appear before you to share the accomplishments of my colleagues in the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, 

and our efforts to facilitate the legitimate travel of millions of tourists, business people, students, and other visitors to the United States. 

THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S ROLE IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM PROMOTION

The nonimmigrant visa application process is a small but important component 

of the combined effort to attract more overseas travelers to the United States. In 

fiscal year 2011, more than 62 million international visitors entered the United 

States, according to the Department of Commerce. Around 60 to 65 percent enter 

legally without visas (Canadians and Visa Waiver Program travelers); most others 

enter with multiple entry nonimmigrant visas issued in prior years. Only about 12 

percent of travelers obtained new nonimmigrant visas just before travel. Streamlining access to U.S. visa services will complement the administration’s effort to capture a greater share of the global travel and tourism market, a multifaceted effort 

extending far beyond improving our visa adjudication capacity. 

In partnership with the Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness and the Corporation for Travel Promotion, the Department of State is playing a key role in promoting increased international travel to the United States. In addition to our ongoing efforts to streamline the nonimmigrant application process, we actively promote 

travel to the United States through our cadre of more than 1,200 economic and commercial officers working to establish and maintain new patterns of international 

economic cooperation. We promote America as a destination for overseas visitors 

through our public and cultural affairs officers who are identifying key audiences 

and ensuring that messages about travel to the United States reach them in the 

most appropriate contexts, formats, and languages. 

The Department of State looks forward to working with the Tourism Policy Council and the Corporation for Travel Promotion to encourage new and repeat travelers 

to the United States. 

RESPONDING TO INCREASING WORLDWIDE DEMAND FOR U.S. VISAS

We at the Department of State are dedicated to the protection of our borders, and 

have no higher priority than the safety of our fellow citizens. At the same time, we 

are committed to facilitating legitimate travel, and providing prompt and courteous 

service. For the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the challenge is to meet the increasing 

worldwide demand for U.S. visas without compromising the security of our Nation’s 

borders. I am pleased to testify that we are meeting this challenge head on. 

Consular officers adjudicated 8.8 million nonimmigrant visa applications and 

issued more than 7.5 million U.S. visas in fiscal year 2011, an increase of more than 

16 percent over the previous year, when 6.4 million visas were issued. We have seen 

tremendous increases in demand for visas in some of the world’s fastest growing 

economies. We are issuing as many visas as we did in 2000, even though nine more 

countries have joined the Visa Waiver Program since then. 

According to the Department of Commerce, international visitors contributed $134 

billion to the U.S. economy in 2010, supporting more than a million jobs. More international travel means more spending on airlines, tours, hotels, services, and export 

purchases, all of which mean more American jobs. Not only do international tour-
27 

ists, business visitors, and students boost our economy, but these visitors also leave 

our country with a better understanding of American culture and values. 

The greatest growth in travel comes from the world’s fastest growing economies, 

including China and Brazil, where we have seen demand for U.S. visas increase at 

a dramatic pace. In fiscal year 2011, we processed approximately 1 million nonimmigrant visas in China, and more than 800,000 nonimmigrant visas in Brazil. 

This represented a 34-percent increase in processing for China over the previous fiscal year, and a 42-percent increase in processing for Brazil during the same period, 

an accomplishment in meeting workload demand that would be hard to match, even 

in the private sector. And, we issue nonimmigrant visas to almost 90 percent of Chinese applicants, and to over 96 percent of Brazilian applicants. 

In the first 4 months of fiscal year 2012 alone, consular officers in China processed 33 percent more nonimmigrant visa applications, and consular officers in 

Brazil handled 62 percent more over the same time period in fiscal year 2011. Although we have taken several steps to meet this growing demand since 2010, we 

are continuing to implement additional measures to streamline the nonimmigrant 

visa application process. In fact, we recently submitted a plan to President Obama 

outlining the steps we will take in 2012 to increase our capacity in Brazil and China 

by 40 percent, and to ensure that consular officers interview 80 percent of nonimmigrant applicants worldwide within 3 weeks of submitting their applications— 

goals the President directed us to achieve through Executive Order 13597. I would 

like to update you on the details of these efforts. 

MEETING DEMAND, ESPECIALLY IN CHINA AND BRAZIL

The Department of State is keeping pace with growing demand for visas, and continues to dedicate more personnel and resources to visa adjudication, focusing on 

embassies and consulates with the greatest resource needs. Specifically, we are committed to increasing nonimmigrant visa adjudication capacity by 40 percent in 2012 

in both China and Brazil, two countries where we have seen the greatest increase 

in visa demand: 

—The Department is adding over 100 visa adjudicators this year and next in 

China and Brazil. A number of these new adjudicators are being hired through 

a pilot program that targets applicants who already speak Mandarin or Portuguese. We expect the first group of these special hires to arrive at posts in 

China and Brazil by April 2012. A second group will follow in summer 2012. 

—Some posts in China and Brazil are operating double shifts to maximize use of 

the facilities. Working bilaterally with host governments, the Department is 

also working to physically expand and improve our visa-processing facilities to 

allow for even more visa applicant interviews. 

—The Department is using many different tools to expand capacity, including advanced technology to maximize efficiency and improve security-related screening. By consolidating some of the non-security-related consular functions, we 

are increasing capacity at our embassies and consulates. 

The results of these efforts are already evident. The staffing increases and internal efficiency measures have all but eliminated backlogs in China, and have significantly reduced the backlog of cases in Brazil, where wait times have come down well 

below the previous highs of more than 100 days, to as low as a week or less at some 

posts. As of today, average interview wait times for nonimmigrant visas at our Embassy and our consulates in Brazil are below 30 days, and a week or less at our 

posts in China. 

Since 2005, consular officer staffing has doubled in Brazil. Since fiscal year 2008, 

we have sent more than 185 officers and 57 support staff to Brazil on temporary 

assignments to meet short-term staffing needs, providing an additional 5,702 days 

of service. Our consulate in Sao Paulo began extended interview hours in August, 

and other Brazilian posts are expected to follow. Sao Paulo increased from 2,000 

interviews per day to 3,000 per day. The U.S. Consulate General in Rio increased 

from 1,000 interviews per day to 2,000 interviews per day. We hosted two ‘‘Super 

Saturday’’ events at consular posts across Brazil, adjudicating almost 8,000 visa applications in those 2 days, and consular officers in Brasilia adjudicated hundreds of 

visas during two Brazilian holidays in November. 

We are working to expand and remodel our consular facilities as permitted by the 

Chinese and Brazilian governments, so that we can interview more visa applicants 

on a daily basis. In September, a team from the Department participated in a 2- 

week site survey to improve and expand existing consular facilities in Brazil, and 

another team traveled to China in January 2012. We are adding a total of 48 new 

interview windows throughout China and 19 in Brazil. This expansion, which will 
28 

extend into 2013, will increase capacity by more than 60 percent in China and more 

than 30 percent in Brazil. 

In addition, we are assessing the feasibility of establishing more visa-issuing locations in Brazil and China. 

The Department is utilizing limited non-career appointments (LNA) to hire visa 

adjudicators with essential language skills in Mandarin or Portuguese. LNA hires 

meet the strict qualifications of foreign service officers, including security and background checks. They enter service speaking fluent Mandarin or Portuguese, allowing 

them to begin work as soon as they have completed our intensive consular training 

program. They are appointed for 1-year periods for a total of no more than 5 consecutive years, and have the same privileges and responsibilities as other consular 

adjudicators. We plan to hire over 50 LNAs over the next 2 years. Every 10 LNAs 

could potentially adjudicate 150,000 more visas per year. 

We also prioritize groups of travelers, such as students and business visitors. Wait 

times for student visa interview appointments worldwide are less than 15 days. We 

prioritize student visa appointments because of the tremendous intellectual, social, 

and economic benefits foreign students provide to the U.S. economy. According to 

the Department of Commerce, international students contributed nearly $20 billion 

to the U.S. economy during the 2009–2010 academic year. All U.S. embassies and 

consulates have established procedures to expedite appointments for business travelers. U.S. officials work closely with American Chambers of Commerce in more 

than 100 countries to streamline the visa process for business travelers. 

We use advanced technology to maximize efficiency and improve security-related 

screening. Our worldwide Global Support Strategy (GSS) contract makes interview 

appointment scheduling transparent and consistent. It also eliminates the user-pay 

scheduling programs that exist in many countries. In order to create additional capacity, GSS moves some non-security-related consular functions off-site. By shifting 

non-security functions out of the consular section, it frees our staff to pay more attention to security concerns. GSS is already in place in many countries. 

We have worked to reduce or eliminate paper from all aspects of visa processing, 

winning awards for our green initiatives. Our nonimmigrant visa application is now 

completed and submitted online, and we are piloting a Web-based immigrant visa 

application. 

THE ROLE OF SECURITY HAS NOT DIMINISHED

Security remains our primary mission, since every visa decision is a national security decision. We have an intensive visa screening process incorporating personal 

interviews with multiple biographic and biometric checks, all supported by a sophisticated global information technology network, which shares data with other U.S. 

Government national security agencies in real time. We continue to work with the 

law enforcement and intelligence communities to ensure that our officers have the 

latest information on whether an applicant poses a threat. Around the world, at 222 

visa-issuing embassies and consulates, a highly trained corps of consular officers 

and support staff process millions of visa applications each year, facilitating legitimate travel while protecting our borders. 

We instruct our staff that their highest priority must be to protect the United 

States and its citizens. The officers are also trained to be courteous, respectful, 

knowledgeable, and efficient. We ensure that these principles are core tenets of our 

training regimen for new consular officers and visa adjudicators. Our visa adjudication courses feature in-depth interviewing and name-checking technique training, 

fraud prevention, and the use of automated systems. Throughout their careers, consular officers receive continuing instruction in all of these disciplines to ensure they 

integrate the latest regulations and technologies into their visa adjudication decisions. Our aim is to keep the visa process secure, efficient, and as simple as possible 

for all those who wish to visit our great Nation. 

INTERVIEWS

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) generally requires our consular officers to interview in person all first-time visa applicants aged 14 through 79, but 

gives consular officers authority to waive interviews for diplomatic and official applicants from foreign governments and, in limited circumstances, some repeat applicants. The INA also allows the Secretary of State to waive interviews in certain situations. 

Among the provisions in the Department’s fiscal year 2012 budget was a request 

that the Department explore alternative measures to meet the personal interview 

requirement, such as video visa interviewing. We appreciate Senator Landrieu’s interest in this topic, which we have also explored at length. We concluded that video 
29 

visa interviewing is simply not a viable option. We have piloted this technology and 

have found it does not meet our strict security requirements, is costly, and is less 

efficient than in-person interviews. Use of this technology requires off-site facilities 

manned by American personnel with security clearances, and therefore subject to 

costly physical security and data-protection requirements. 

Permission to open such facilities and the legal status of employees could be an 

issue in some countries. We found that moving applicants to and from the camera 

location, and limiting the length of the interview, is more challenging at an off-site 

video facility, thereby reducing the overall number of interviews conducted. 

Consular officers are trained to use all of their senses to spot potential fraud or 

threats that might not be as readily observable over a two-dimensional video link. 

Much like the final in-person interview before hiring a new employee, if there is any 

concern about a visa applicant, an in-person interview is the best way to resolve the 

case. We are continually looking for more efficient ways to improve the applicant’s experience, without compromising security, particularly since a trip to the Embassy 

is often a foreign visitor’s first impression of the United States. One way to accomplish this, among other things, is to decrease the number of people in the waiting 

room. Enhanced security screening in effect since September 11 makes it possible 

to eliminate interviews for certain very limited categories of applicants, without 

compromising border security requirements. 

With DHS concurrence, on January 19, 2012, the Departments of State and 

Homeland Security initiated a 2-year pilot program to streamline visa processing for 

low-risk applicants, based on terms and conditions agreed between our agencies and 

implemented in accordance with INA requirements. Under the pilot program, consular officers may waive interviews for certain categories of qualified nonimmigrant 

visa applicants worldwide who are renewing their visas within 48 months of the expiration of their previously held visa, and within the same classification as the previous visa (i.e., a B1/B2 applicant must apply for another B1/B2 visa). Consular officers also may waive the interview and fingerprint collection requirement for certain 

qualified nonimmigrant visa applicants holding Brazilian passports worldwide who 

are younger than 16 years old or 66 years of age and older, so long as the required 

thorough screening against biographic-based, immigration, law enforcement, and intelligence databases raises no concerns. 

Officers will only exercise this waiver authority after a careful review of the application, and a thorough screening of the applicant against inter-agency databases, 

and in alignment with appropriate programmatic quality control measures. 

This new policy will make it much easier for many tourists, particularly Chinese 

travelers, to renew their visas, helping to free up over 100,000 interview appointments for travelers applying for visas for the first time. That increase in tourism 

could support as many as 1,500 travel and tourism-related jobs. For Brazilian applicants, the program will permit consular officers to more effectively spend their time 

and resources evaluating higher risk visa applicants and other applicants who require interviews. The pilot program has been implemented in China and is in the 

process of being implemented at some of our busiest overseas posts, including 

Brazil, Mexico, India, and Russia. 

RECIPROCITY

The Immigration and Nationality Act also requires us to set visa validity based 

on the validity of visas issued to U.S. citizens. We coordinate these decisions with 

the Department of Homeland Security. Right now, the Chinese generally issue 

Americans visas valid for 1 year or less. U.S. Ambassador to China Locke regularly 

addresses the issue of visa validity with the Chinese Government, with the goal of 

extending visa validity for American travelers from 12 months to 2 or more years, 

so that we can reciprocate and issue longer validity visas for Chinese leisure and 

business travelers. 

The Department does not act alone when it comes to decisions about visa validity; 

we must obtain approval from the Department of Homeland Security prior to increasing any period of visa validity. 

In addition to granting reciprocal treatment to U.S. citizens seeking visas to visit 

China, it has been the administration’s position that the Chinese Government also 

must make significant progress in issuing travel documentation to thousands of Chinese nationals in the United States under final deportation orders. 

VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

We are working with our partners in the U.S. Government to consider additional 

countries for membership in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which is administered 
30 

by the Department of Homeland Security. The specific requirements for VWP membership are set forth in law and are quite strict; these statutory requirements help 

to make VWP the secure program that it is. The Secretary of State recently nominated Taiwan to join the VWP and the Department of Homeland Security has begun 

the review process for its admission to the program. We support S. 2046, the Visa 

Waiver Program Enhanced Security and Reform Act, currently being considered in 

the Senate, which would enhance and strengthen the VWP. 

CONCLUSION

We believe that promotion of legitimate travel, trade, and educational exchanges 

are not in conflict with our border security agenda, but rather further that agenda 

and U.S. interests in the long term. 

Visa adjudication requires good judgment, insight into cultural practices, and 

knowledge of immigration law. Visa adjudication is essential to protecting the safety 

of our citizens, legal permanent residents, and those who visit our country. 

Our global presence, foreign policy mission, and personnel structure give us singular advantages in executing the visa function throughout the world. Our authorities and responsibilities enable us to provide a global perspective to the visa process 

and its impact on U.S. national interests. The issuance and refusal of visas has a 

direct impact on our foreign relations as well as our economy. The Department of 

State is in a position to anticipate and weigh all those factors, while ensuring border 

security as our first priority. We will continue to staff up, build, and innovate to 

ensure that America continues to be a secure and welcoming country. 

At the same time, as President Obama has said, ‘‘We will always protect our borders and our shores and our tourist destinations from people who want to do us 

harm. But we also want to get more international tourists coming to America. And 

there’s no reason why we can’t do both.’’ The Department of State is firmly committed to supporting the President’s travel and tourism initiatives, opening the door 

to new jobs and exports. More international visitors to America means more revenue 

for our cities and States, and we are making it easier for tourists from other countries to experience all that America has to offer. We have made it a priority to increase our capacity while maintaining our strict security standards, and we will continue to reduce wait times and facilitate increasing numbers of legitimate travelers 

to the United States. 

This concludes my testimony today. I will be pleased to take your questions. 

NEWARK LIBERTY AIRPORT: STAFFING

Senator LAUTENBERG [presiding]. Thank you very much. 

Mr. Winkowski, according to the reports that we get from Newark Liberty Airport, arriving passengers are experiencing long wait 

times at Customs due to inadequate staffing, and I think you confirmed that in your remarks. With the busy summer travel approaching, there are concerns about whether or not these times will 

continue to grow. And it is fairly simple, as I see it, if we can get 

a commitment, Mr. Winkowski, that you commit to working with 

me and with us to boost the staffing at Newark. Can we count on 

that? 

Mr. WINKOWSKI. I think there are several issues with Newark. 

When you look at the staffing of last year versus this year, they 

have had a decrease in on-board staffing of three people. Now, that 

is not to say that the number that they have is the right number, 

and I think that is your point, Senator. 

We are committed to work with the port authority, certainly your 

office, as well as the airlines. 

We face a number of challenges, and one of the challenges that 

I believe Senator Coats raised is the co-issue of peaking from the 

standpoint of aircraft coming in at the same time, maxing out facilities. 

I think where we are heading with this is really in three areas, 

and I think we need to look at what we are doing from a stand-
31 

point of transforming our whole process. I do not believe that the 

whole process is based on more people. Certainly in some cases, 

that would be accurate. But we have to make sure that we continue to capitalize on the whole issue of transforming what we are 

doing in the entire continuum of travel and clearing international 

passengers. 

So a number of areas. Global Entry. We need to drive up that 

number. We have a big group of travelers that come in that are 

very, very low-risk, and we need to get them into the Global Entry 

system so we can take that group of travelers, get them out of the 

line, get them over to a bank of kiosks, and walk out the door. 

The other area is the elimination of these forms that we have. 

So, for example, when we put the ESTA system up, we were able 

to eliminate the I–94W. That saves a lot of time. We are working 

very, very hard in eliminating the I–94, and we anticipate being 

able to do that by this year and doing other initiatives—— 

Senator LAUTENBERG. I would ask that you put this in the form 

a report because the question, as it was posed, was developed by 

my people and the facts that govern there that there was a shortage of staff. 

Now, I do not know whether we can alter arrival times for aircraft. The airplanes want to arrive on a schedule that is most convenient for them and for certainly their passengers. 

So if you would, sir, because the time is so limited, and I would 

like to ask Mr. Pistole a question, if I can. 

Mr. WINKOWSKI. Okay. 

[The information follows:] 

STAFFING AND WAIT TIMES AT NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Based on the volume of inbound international passengers, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is the fourth busiest international airport in the United 

States. 

Over the last 3 fiscal years, wait times at EWR have risen along with those at 

most major international airports. From first quarter of fiscal year 2009 to first 

quarter of fiscal year 2012, EWR’s average wait time and the overall national average wait time increased by approximately 27 percent. Increasing wait times can be 

attributed to a number of challenges, including: 

—Dramatic return of passenger volume after the global economic downturn. Fiscal year 2011 saw 95 million passengers and crew processed at CBP’s international airports—the highest total on record. 

—Expanding facilities and mission requirements that impact the capacity of CBP 

officer resources. 

EWR wait times track closely to—and slightly below—the national average: 

—National average wait time (first fiscal year 2012) = 21.7 minutes. 

—EWR average wait time (first quarter fiscal year 2012) = 21.2 minutes. 

EWR’s peak arrival time for flights and passengers is the 3 p.m. hour. Average 

wait time during that hour (first quarter fiscal year 2012) = 30.0 minutes. Most recently, EWR wait times have decreased as CBP implements its wait time mitigation 

strategy, which includes: 

—More precisely aligning staffing to daily workload, including using an automated real-time scheduling tool. EWR maximizes the staffing of its inspection 

booths in anticipation of peak arrival periods. 

—Limiting leave usage, administrative functions and training during peak arrival 

times. 

—Working with air carriers, airport authorities, the trade community, and others 

on facilitation measures such as Express Connect and One Stop. These programs expedite travel, reduce missed connections, increase passenger throughput, and enhance the arrival processing experience. 

—Increasing participation in Global Entry, one of CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs to increase the number of pre-vetted travelers to allow CBP to focus fi-
32 

nite resources on those individuals that may present a higher risk. Travelers 

using Global Entry kiosks significantly reduced wait times for CBP processing. 

Wait times are also subsequently reduced for the non-members remaining in 

the general queue. 

Most EWR passengers do not experience long waits for CBP processing. During 

the first quarter of fiscal year 2012: 

—Over 75 percent waited less than 30 minutes; and 

—99.5 percent of arriving passengers waited less than 90 minutes. 

NEWARK LIBERTY AIRPORT BREACHES

Senator LAUTENBERG. Thank you. Your report was excellent. 

Last year there was an unusually high number of breaches at 

Newark Liberty. At my request, DHS is in the process of completing an investigation of these breaches. What steps can you suggest to us here now that will help identify the problems and get 

them fully resolved? We should have even in that relatively harmless breach of the secure area—we, I think, had something like 

160,000 people tied up in one place or another, really unfair. So 

what can we do? 

Mr. PISTOLE. Thank you, Senator. 

There are two aspects to this. One is what the initial breach is 

and then the second is what is our response to that breach. So do 

we need to shut down an entire checkpoint in a terminal as a result of whatever that breach may have been? So we have reviewed 

our standard operating procedures for that and assessed what is 

the best approach. As you know, we have new leadership in there 

at Newark that is addressing some of the issues that have, I believe, led to some of those, whether they are isolated—I do not believe they are systemic issues, but they cause a lot of concern because of the down time associated and the loss of productivity and 

efficiency. And so those are the things that we are trying to address. 

Senator LAUTENBERG. I am going to call on Senator Coats. But 

it is a question I want to get back to. 

Senator Coats. 

I–94 REPLACEMENT: COST-BENEFIT

Senator COATS. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chairman. I will be brief 

because I think I am going to have to run out and catch this vote. 

But in talking about effectiveness, I am sure you are deluged 

with new ideas, new technology, and new equipment. And I guess 

my question goes to the point of how do you assess vis-a-vis the 

cost-benefit of a new piece of equipment that might, say, replace 

this I–94? There must be some electronic means you are talking 

about or something to that effect. Particularly at a time of constrained budgets—I get visited by a number of groups saying I 

have got the next best thing here to solve the problem. And if you 

would only buy a thousand of them and implement them across the 

country, why, we could expedite screening. 

Could both you and Administrator Pistole talk a little bit about 

where we are from the standpoint of the use of new technology that 

might help us and are there some things that we should focus in 

on as we consider your budgets? 

Senator LAUTENBERG. Senator Coats, I am going to go ahead and 

vote, and if you will—— 
33 

Senator COATS. I will be happy to do it. 

Senator LAUTENBERG. Thank you all. We will adjourn for just 

some minutes and be back. 

Mr. WINKOWSKI. Maybe I can take the first crack at that, Senator. 

I think with every program that we have in CBP, we look at it 

from the standpoint of how can we be more efficient and reduce 

costs. So you take, for example, the issue of the I–94 and the I– 

94W. So the I–94W is for visa waiver countries. It is a little form 

that everybody signs off. We have to stamp it and sign it and cut 

it and hand it out. It adds tremendous time to the process. At the 

same time, we have advance passenger information that we have 

on that particular passenger coming into the United States through 

a lot of good funding from this subcommittee. Thank you very 

much. And we also have outbound information. So we are able to 

match up who came in from a visa waiver country and when did 

they leave. They do not need to submit that particular form and 

send it down to a processing center for it to be keyed into a system. 

That is done. We have saved millions and millions of dollars on 

that. 

The I–94 is for non-visa waiver countries. It is the bulk of the 

forms that we have. And we spend about $15 million per year 

inputting that information in the system, as well as storing it. So 

we are very quickly at the point where we get the same advance 

information coming in. We know that a passenger came in and we 

know that a passenger left to go back home and we can match that 

up and do not need that form. So that is going to save us $15 million and become much more efficient. 

So Global Entry—you can take the same analysis of what it costs 

us to process a passenger on primary who is low-risk, who is going 

to be sent through the system, and send him over to a kiosk for 

the Global Entry system. 

So as we continue to transform our organization—because I 

agree with you. It is not all about additional positions. I think our 

workload staffing model will show in some areas that there perhaps is a need for additional positions in certain areas, but overall, 

we cannot come up with a plan that says we are going to keep business as usual but increase our budget. Those days are behind us. 

So all these efficiencies that we have that we are working on are 

saving us millions of dollars. 

Senator COATS [presiding]. Good. 

Administrator. 

Mr. PISTOLE. Senator, so what we look at in TSA, the bottom 

line, is what is our return on investment. How can we reduce risk, 

mitigate risk through strategic investment such as what we did 

after the attempted bombing on Christmas Day 2009 where the 

subcommittee and obviously Congress invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the advanced imaging technology machines to 

give us the best opportunity to detect the nonmetallic device, the 

bomb, that we saw on Christmas Day? So that is a strategic type 

of investment that helps us reduce risk. 

I think a lot of the talk about the future, as we look at what 

some people describe as the checkpoint of the future, which different groups and associations, especially the International Air 
34 

Travel Association (IATA) have looked at, is trying to consolidate 

different detection capabilities into either a single piece of equipment or something that minimizes the intrusiveness, if you will, of 

the detection capabilities. So we are always looking for that next 

best idea that helps us detect devices that could be catastrophic on 

an aircraft, but it has to be, obviously, at a good price and able to 

deploy in an efficient, effective manner. 

AVIATION SECURITY PASSENGER FEE INCREASE

Senator COATS. I think it is important that you keep us advised 

of this type of thing. Obviously, if there is some new technological 

breakthrough that helps us with our staffing situation and so forth, 

I mean, it is certainly worth looking at. But at a time of budget 

constraints, it is going to be difficult to provide the funding for it 

unless it really offsets some expenditures elsewhere to help pay for 

that. 

I was not going to get into this subject, but I want to keep you 

here until the chairman gets back. So let me get to a more controversial subject. 

The President’s budget proposed a significant increase in the 

transportation fee paid by passengers. They made some adjustments. No longer is it by leg—it is by each trip. I do not believe 

that has been submitted yet for our consideration. One, do you 

have any idea as to when the administration might submit that? 

And two, can you give us your take on that proposal? As you know, 

it has not been increased in a considerable number of years. On the 

other hand, imposing what to a lot of passengers seems like a new 

tax—what is the justification for it? Just give us some download on 

that particular issue. 

Mr. PISTOLE. Thank you, Senator. 

Of course, the idea behind it is that the users of the service, the 

beneficiaries of that security, should have some responsibility to 

help pay for that. So, as opposed to somebody who never travels at 

all, a U.S. taxpayer, they still have a burden of paying for that security even though they never use the service. So that is the general construct behind it. 

And as you noted, it has not been raised since the enactment of 

the fee going back to 2001–2002. And so, in the President’s budget, 

it is simply a recognition that there is a cost to security and that 

the cost can be provided for by the users of that security. So what 

the budget looks at is an incremental increase going from that 

$2.50 per-segment fee up to a $5 one-way maximum fee in 2013 

and then incremental increases beyond that. 

So recognize there is controversy around it and it really becomes 

a question of, as that fee is used, can it reduce the general taxpayer’s burden for the transportation security responsibilities? It 

also has provisions, as you know, in it that would also reduce the 

overall deficit, which is also something that is looked at as an obligation for the administration at this time. 

Senator COATS. Relative to the timeframe in terms of which it 

would be introduced, any information—— 

Mr. PISTOLE. I do not have any specifics on that. I will have to 

get back with you on that. 

Senator COATS. Okay. 
35 

I think what I am going to do, given the prerogative of being the 

chair, with no one here able to raise any objection—what I might 

do—I would like to let you go, but I know the chairman probably 

has some—why don’t we just do this? Why don’t we just take a 

temporary hold? I think she will be back at any moment. Why don’t 

we have the subcommittee reconvene upon the arrival of the chairman. The time clock is probably ticking down. But I know they 

need my vote. So they will probably hold it open. 

Mr. Donahue, I did not realize you were a Hoosier also. So welcome to the club, and we will all be sitting on the edge of our chair 

Friday night. 

So we will just do a temporary hold here until the chairman returns. And I thank all of you for your testimony, and we will be 

back with you very shortly. 

AIRPORT SCREENING: PILOTS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Senator LANDRIEU [presiding]. Thank you all so much for your 

patience as we juggle these schedules. 

And I understand that Senators Coats and Lautenberg got their 

questions in. So let me begin with mine, and we are expecting 

them to return or some of them to return and we will continue. 

Let me ask Administrator Pistole. Airline pilots and flight crews 

are subject to extensive background checks. So to me it makes 

sense to allow these vital employees expedited access through airport screening checkpoints. Now, I see them as they move past me 

in the line, which is most appropriate, and they move to the head 

of the line, but they still go through all the screenings required, including belts, shoes, buckles, et cetera. 

I understand we are testing a program at seven airports where 

pilots can go through but not flight attendants. How was the decision made for pilots and not flight attendants? Are the security 

screenings for them different, and if so, how? And what could we 

do to include flight attendants in that pilot, and then when can we 

expand it to all pilots and flight attendants hopefully safely? 

Mr. PISTOLE. Thank you, Madam Chair. We have, of course, for 

a while had some modified screening procedures in for both pilots 

and flight attendants, which is less onerous than for the general 

traveling public. But what we are doing under this Known Crewmember initiative is recognizing that starting with the pilots, they 

are the most trusted person on the aircraft. Almost 29,000 times 

per day, they get us from point A to point B safely, and it is what 

is really in their hands, the aircraft, that is a challenge. 

So recognizing that they are the most trusted, we wanted to start 

someplace and so, in association with A4A and the Pilots Association, have been doing this initiative to see if this will work on a 

wide-scale basis. So we have been at the seven airports. There are 

three others that started. We just reached agreement to expand 

that more broadly around the country, maybe another 20 airports 

or so. And the whole idea from the start was let us start with pilots 

and then we will look at flight attendants once we make sure that 

the pilot system is working, recognizing that the flight attendants 

are, as you note, trusted and key components of the flight crew. 

Senator LANDRIEU. I am assuming the flight attendants have requested this of you. 
36 

Mr. PISTOLE. They have. We have had several meetings over the 

last year, and I have been, I think, pretty clear about wanting to 

do this as a pilot initiative with the pilots to start off and then once 

that happened, make a decision as it relates to the flight attendants. 

Senator LANDRIEU. I just want to again remind everyone that it 

will be, I guess, 11 years this September that this industry has 

been topsy-turvy. And 11 years of someone’s career is a pretty long 

time to be going through these steps. And I think our pilots and 

our flight attendants have been more than patient as we try to figure this out. This is not 2 years. This is not 3 years. It is not even 

5 years. I mean, it is almost one-half of a 20-year career. So I just 

do not think we have, in my view, a lot of time. 

Again, we do not want to compromise security, but using just 

common sense with the screening that I am certain goes on before 

a pilot can get a pilot badge now post 9/11—we unfortunately 

learned the lesson the hard way. But I am certain that that screening—and we will hear more about it from the flight attendants that 

are testifying this morning—have been in place for flight attendants now, very tough screening for them, that they are as much a 

part of this experience. The less haggard they are, the less frustrated they are, both pilots and flight attendants, trying to do the 

job that we have asked them to do, that they want to do, the better. 

So I wanted just to get that on the record, and I am glad that 

you are working on it. 

Let me just stop there. 

PRECHECK PROGRAM

Senator LANDRIEU. Because I was not here for the questions, I 

want to make sure I do not double-ask, and I see Senator Murkowski back for hers. 

Let me ask on the PreCheck (Pre✓TM) program. I applaud your 

efforts to move away from a one-size-fits-all screening approach to 

a more risk-based approach. Last year you launched Pre✓TM. You 

talked about it in your testimony. The screening benefits include 

no longer removing shoes. You do not have to put your laptop, your 

jacket, your belt, liquid containers from carry-on luggage. Pre✓TM

is currently at 11 airports, scheduled to expand to 35. 

I understand that we have about 48 major airports. Is that true? 

Is that the number? What do you say? 

Mr. PISTOLE. By the end of the year, we will be in 35. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thirty-five, but how many major airports are 

there in the United States? 

Mr. PISTOLE. Oh, there are 28 category Xs, yes the largest airports. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Twenty-eight big, big airports, but how many 

overall airports? About 400? 

Mr. PISTOLE. Four hundred and fifty, approximately. 

Senator LANDRIEU. So while these pilots are important, you can 

understand that it is just a small number, although we are focusing on the larger ones. Currently, the Pre✓TM eligibility is limited 

to high-mileage frequent flyers and U.S. citizens. Less than 6,000 

passengers are screened daily through a Pre✓TM. When you con-
37 

sider that 1.7 million passengers travel each day, but yet only 

6,000 have been prechecked, can you give us an update and what 

your potential expectations are? Will we ever get up to one-third 

of our travelers prechecked or 20 percent of our travelers 

prechecked, I mean, based on your assessments so far? 

Mr. PISTOLE. The goal is to expand the Pre✓TM program as 

broadly as possible as quickly as possible while making sure that 

we are maintaining the best possible security. By expanding to the 

35 largest airports, in many respects we will obviously capture a 

much greater portion of the population than we are today. The addition of additional populations such as members of the military at 

Reagan National Airport yesterday will help expand that. We are 

looking at other groups and working with industry to see how we 

can come up with—rapidly expanding while maintaining the best 

possible security. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Let me ask this—probably lots of good people 

are frequent flyers, but there might be some bad people that are 

frequent flyers. Are we automatically clearing all frequent flyers? 

Mr. PISTOLE. No. 

Senator LANDRIEU. And are the standards for frequent flyers different by airlines? And give us some indication that there is another screen other than that you might fly frequently to sort of get 

access to this program. 

Mr. PISTOLE. Sure. Of course, we are not publishing the exact 

standards that we are using or the vetting we are doing because 

we do not want terrorists to game the system. But obviously anybody who an airline would deem qualified to be considered—the 

very first check, of course, is against the terrorist screening database to make sure that there is not a terrorist trying to game the 

system and somebody who is just trying to rack up a lot of miles 

to get that possible benefit. 

We also do some things that I would be glad to go into a closed 

setting to talk about in some more detail in terms of that vetting. 

But suffice to say that it is simply a starting point for us with 

the more elite frequent flyers, recognizing that if they have a long 

history of travel, the odds are that they are not as likely to be a 

terrorist, but we always will keep random and unpredictable 

screening as part of that. So somebody may go into Pre✓TM. I was 

in Miami yesterday and Reagan National yesterday, and saw 

Pre✓TM in operation. And there are those who may qualify and 

they may have gone through several times recently, but just for 

purposes of randomness, we will say, ‘‘Okay, no, you need to go 

through the regular screening.’’ So the whole idea is to have multiple layers of security and then facilitate the safe, efficient travel 

for those whom we make that assessment on. So there is, again, 

more detail I would be glad to go into. 

COORDINATION WITH AIRLINES AIRPORTS AND TSA OR CUSTOMS

Senator LANDRIEU. I have one more question and then I will turn 

it over to Senator Murkowski, and then we will probably move to 

our second panel. 

But Mr. Smith, I was so happy to hear your level of enthusiasm 

and your focus on coordination because as you properly stated, the 

goals of safe and secure but comfortable and pleasurable travel, 
38 

which is so important to this industry and to our economy, not just 

for visitors but in the global economy that we have been entering 

now for the last 15 to 20 years—it is going to get the demands of 

screening and communications, even though technology sort of 

minimizes the need in some instances. But there is nothing like a 

face-to-face meeting or a face-to-face visit no matter how virtual 

the Internet has become. So I think this is just crucial to our world 

in the future. 

Can you talk for just 1 more minute about some of the successes 

that you have specifically had to give us some ideas about the coordination between the airlines, the airports, and TSA or Customs 

in reducing wait times, reducing travel lines, or any feedback that 

you are getting from the travelers and any sort of success that you 

could share specifically? 

Mr. SMITH. Absolutely, and thank you for that. 

I will tie to what you just asked Administrator Pistole. How will 

we increase numbers? It is the partnership with the carriers. The 

carriers were instrumental. When we took Global Entry from an 

initial pilot and said we want to dramatically expand those numbers, my lawyers would yell at me if I told you which carrier. Let 

us just suffice it to say a very large carrier. Their CEO took this 

on as his personal mission to partner with us to help explain to the 

traveling public the availability of this program. 

We are doing that same thing with Pre✓TM, working very closely 

with U.S. travel to coordinate messaging to the traveling public directly. We are not in the marketing business. We are in the keeping the planes safe business. They are in the marketing business. 

It is this partnership. It is why we have seen the jump in the number of Global Entry applications since John expanded TSA Pre✓TM, 

in that first week, a several hundred percent increase in applications. So we are seeing concrete examples. 

In Orlando on wait times, working closely with the airport authority there, we set up an ambassadors program. So when a new 

flight, which we were able to add through new efficiencies into Orlando resulting in conservatively a $100 million impact to that 

economy flies in, they are greeted with native Portuguese speakers. 

So they welcome them into the Federal Inspection Services section 

that Tom’s people have to manage in native Portuguese. It makes 

them more comfortable. It helps them speed through the process 

but once again a partnership, freeing up CBP front-line officers to 

do what they need to do to keep us safe while working with the 

airport partners to help increase efficiencies. So people are welcomed. We move through more briskly, but we keep them safe at 

the same time. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you. 

Senator Murkowski. 

AIRPORT SCREENING: INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Senator MURKOWSKI. Thank you, Madam Chairman. 

Gentlemen, thank you for your comments this morning. 

We pay a lot of attention to what is going on within the aviation 

sector because people in my State have to fly, and a lot of times 

it is very small planes going through very small communities 
39 

through another small community to get to a medium-sized community to get to a community of size, maybe 26,000. 

But what we see oftentimes is a growing frustration because 

TSA, in order to be effective, needs to have a one-size-fits-all approach, and that is oftentimes clearly not understood when you are 

in a regional fishing hub like Dillingham or Bethel and you see a 

dozen people from TSA who are monitoring you going through this 

tiny, little airport where there is not only no room for the passengers once they have gone through screening, it is a system that 

they look at and just say we are not quite sure why we are going 

through all that we are going through. And as their representative 

here in Congress, I have to explain to them it is all about safety 

and it does not make any difference whether you are in Bethel or 

whether you are in Baton Rouge. We are talking about safety here. 

But there are some very legitimate concerns that come from this 

type of an approach. 

The first thing I would like to bring up with you, Administrator, 

is the procedures for those who either have special needs or issues, 

use of prosthetics. I know you are very familiar with the situation 

in Alaska. One of our members of the Alaska State House of Representatives was in Seattle, has had breast cancer and mastectomy 

and had a prosthesis in place and was going to be subjected to a 

pat-down that she felt was invasive based on a prior experience, 

and she refused. And the story is that she then decided that she 

was not going to fly back to work in Juneau, but our capital is on 

a island which required her to drive from Seattle through Canada, 

up north across the border, down to a point where she could get 

on a ferry to get into Juneau to go to work. It was a 3-day process 

but that was how she dealt with it. 

She has really taken this up as a very significant issue to try to 

speak out and make sure that there is a level of sensitivity that 

goes with the screening process. And she has introduced several 

bills in the legislature there, one that would require signage warnings that speak to travelers of the possibility of what she considers 

to be very invasive pat-downs. 

So I guess the question to you this morning—and I brought this 

up with the Secretary as well—is what have you done. What is 

happening within the agencies that demonstrates that in fact we 

are responding to these issues in a way that can help mitigate or 

alleviate what are clearly some very psychological effects of some 

pretty invasive screenings? I would hope that you would speak to 

not only the issue of signage in direct response to Representative 

Cissna’s concern but any other ways that you are choosing to deal 

with this to help our passengers with more special needs. 

Mr. PISTOLE. Thank you, Senator. You raise a number of very 

important points. 

The comment about the one-size-fits-all, I agree that has served 

us in the past, but we are moving from that and have already testified about it in terms of this Pre✓TM, in terms of changing the policy for children age 12 and under. We are doing an initiative this 

week to start on Monday with older individuals, age 75 and older, 

that look at alternate screening for them, allowing them to keep 

their shoes on, a light jacket. There are about 60,000 folks age 75 

and older every day that travel. The same thing on the young side, 
40 

about 60,000 children age 12 and under. So the whole idea is, How 

can we differentiate on the basis of what the intelligence, the 

threats tell us about who may be a possible threat. 

The individuals with special needs, whether it is external medical devices or prostheses or whatever the particular situation, 

have been a challenge for TSA over the years, clearly. In December, 

we launched what we call TSA Cares, which is a number that anybody with special needs can call ahead of time, ideally 48–72 hours 

before they would arrive at an airport, to ask questions such as, 

‘‘Okay, here is my situation. How can I make sure that I am afforded good security but in the most professional, respectful way?’’ 

And we have had tens of thousands of people call that number 

since we stood that up in the last several months where we give 

advice. We obviously encourage people to look at our Web site. 

The fact is that we are trying everything possible to work with 

individuals who have those special needs in a way that respects 

their privacy and the whole aspect of their dignity, and we have 

not done a good job in some situations. 

We have a complaint line where people call in, and 85 percent 

of those calls are simply requests for information as opposed to actual complaints. So we monitor that. 

We try to put as much information as we can out, and then we 

will work with individuals. So it is something that—we have also 

met with dozens of special interest groups that have similar situations to try to educate the traveling public and those they represent, and these groups represent tens of millions of people who 

travel either frequently or occasionally. But it is a daily challenge 

for us dealing with the 1.7–1.8 million people. 

CARGO SCREENING

Senator MURKOWSKI. And I understand that. I also recognize 

that oftentimes you can look to that Web site because we have directed people there, having gone to the call line. But oftentimes you 

read that and then you go through the line, and it is what it is. 

You are dealing with a TSA personnel that you are and they may 

or they may not treat you with that level of respect and understanding that you had hoped. Of course, this then leads to the 

problems. 

I want to bring up just one more just side issue to this, but it 

speaks to the sensitivity that I think is important. 

In Alaska, in many parts of the State, the native women wear 

a traditional kuspuck. It is like a jacket that has double pockets. 

And I was wearing a kuspuck and I was told that you have got to 

remove your kuspuck because it is a little bit bulky in front. It is 

not a little bit bulky. You can go like this and the bulk is gone. 

Let us just say I had a conversation with some of the folks there 

at TSA asking them how they dealt with the fact that this is native, traditional garb. Many of the women coming through wear 

this. And how is it handled? And the response that I got was less 

than satisfactory. It is something that I have intended to follow up 

with because I want to make sure that regardless of the part of the 

country that you are in, that there is a level of sensitivity, a level 

of discretion that is provided given the region that you are in. And 
41 

as of this point in time, I am not convinced that we are seeing that 

to the fullest extent. 

Madam Chairman, I know that we want to move to the second 

panel. If I may just ask one brief question, and this relates to cargo 

screening. 

You mentioned the passenger bag screening, but you are attempting to get to that point where 100 percent of the cargo coming 

through has been screened. But again, we are dealing with a situation in Alaska where much of our goods, the gallon of milk that you 

buy at the grocery store is coming in on the aircraft there that also 

provides for passengers as well. It is the number one complaint 

outside of the price of fuel that I am hearing in our smaller communities. I was in the community of Yakutat about 3–4 weeks ago 

and was told that the price of milk in the store—they said about 

one-half of the price that you are paying is an add-on because of 

TSA’s security screening. I think that there was an exaggeration to 

that amount, but it is something that we are looking at very, very 

critically. 

So what I would ask is that we continue to have some conversation about the cargo screening in, again, parts of the country where 

the situation on the ground is just a little bit different because it 

takes a community and a region that is already facing exorbitant 

costs because of transportation costs and adding to the cost of living because of these TSA security fees that are imposed on a perweight charge. So I would like to speak with whoever it is within 

your Departments here that can work with us a little bit more on 

this issue. 

Mr. PISTOLE. I will be glad to follow up with you on that, Senator. Obviously, we are trying to address—we have completed the 

100-percent cargo requirement that Congress put on us for domestic, and we are working on the international aspect of that for later 

this year, hopefully. But it is something that we know terrorists 

have tried to exploit cargo, the Yuma cargo plot from October 2010. 

So we are mindful of that. But at the same time, we need to make 

sure that we are facilitating the free movement of people and goods 

with the best security. So that is that dynamic and that challenge. 

I would be glad to follow up with you. 

If I could make one other point, in terms of the staffing at some 

of these small airports and Anchorage, I would be glad to have an 

offline conversation with you about some opportunities that we are 

looking at at the smallest airports in terms of improving the efficiencies there. 

Senator MURKOWSKI. Good. I noted that you said that you wanted to work with individual airports on initiatives that they may 

have. So we will be happy to talk with you about that. 

Madam Chairman, thank you. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you. I appreciate that. 

Just like there are going to be special requirements for the major 

hubs where millions and millions of passengers land and take off 

every day, there is going to have to be some approach that is custom-designed for them. Then for the middling airports of middle 

size—New Orleans would be a good example. We are not a hub, but 

we see a lot of people coming and going every day. And then you 

have got your very rural airports—and Alaska, Montana, Idaho 
42 

come to mind—that need a different approach. This is 10 years, almost 11 years. We want to see some of these custom approaches 

and we will be pushing. 

One final question to Mr. Donahue, and then we are going to get 

to the next panel. I would like you all to stay to listen to the next 

panel. And I appreciate the time you have given, but it is important. 

The President’s January announcement on tourism said that his 

goal is to expedite the visa issuance for visitors. Particularly, he 

mentioned Brazil and China, very important countries for us in 

terms of trade, technology sharing, et cetera. 

How long does it currently take our Government, the State Department, to issue visas to travelers from these two countries on 

average? Brazil and China. Conversely, how long does it take 

Brazil and China to issue visas to us? If you have that information, 

I would like you to put it into the record this morning. 

Also, what steps has the State Department taken to reduce interview wait times, processing times, and travel distance to consulates 

in these countries? 

We go down to our local office to get a passport, and for us in 

New Orleans, it is just a little bit of time. Maybe for Alaska, it is 

a little bit different. But if you think about China and Brazil, how 

large those countries are, there could be lots of travel time to the 

consulates. 

So what is the answer to the first and second question, please? 

Mr. DONAHUE. Thank you, Senator. 

In China today to get an appointment, the longest you wait is 6 

days. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Six days. 

Mr. DONAHUE. Or 8 days. I am sorry. In Guangzhou it is 8 days. 

Senator LANDRIEU. To get an appointment. 

Mr. DONAHUE. To get an appointment. 

And the visas are usually issued in most cases in about 3 days 

from then. You will receive the visa delivered to your home. There 

are cases that require additional security checks. Those can take 

2–3 weeks, but that is a small number of the total. 

Senator LANDRIEU. And do people have to come there in person? 

Mr. DONAHUE. And that is what we have been working on with 

our colleagues at DHS. First-time applicants, according to the law, 

are required to come in and apply in person. On renewal applicants, we have extended the time from 1 year to 4 years in the Executive order that the President announced, so that if your visa— 

and this is particularly important in China where they only have 

1-year visas. If your visa has expired within the last 4 years, we 

will review that case, see if there is any information that makes 

it possible that we have concerns, look at all the information we 

have from the person’s prior travel from our partners at DHS, and 

if we see no indicators that there might be a reason of concern, the 

person can send that in, does not have to travel to one of the five 

consular offices in China. 

And we are doing the same in Brazil. And also in Brazil, we have 

a special program that we are trying as part of this pilot where 

children under age 16 years and adults age 66 and over can send 

in their applications, and then DHS is helping us with the biomet-
43 

ric part of that. But it is very important the first time. That is 

when we set the identity of that person with their biometrics. 

As I mentioned, we sent teams out in the last couple months to 

both China and Brazil to look at new locations to get close to them. 

We have four visa-issuing posts in Brazil and five in China, and 

we are looking at other alternatives. 

Senator LANDRIEU. The Foreign Operations bill gave the State 

Department video conferencing capability or authorization to use 

video conferencing and doubled the Chinese tourism validity from 

1–2 years. Why has the State Department not used these new authorizations? 

Mr. DONAHUE. On the video conferencing, we have done a pilot 

of video conferencing. We do not believe it meets the security 

standards. As I mentioned, we do need an interview, for instance, 

to set the identity of that person, so we collect the biometric and 

we have the interview, and we have an American that we trust say 

that that is the person that gave us those biometrics. That is the 

same biometric that is used by my colleagues as they arrive in the 

United States, and having that done in person is very important. 

In addition, if we do feel that we need an interview with a person, it is the three-dimensional interview. It is that person being 

there, watching how they come up to the window, how they react 

to other people in the room. We do not believe that we could do a 

good security review of that person by video conference. 

Senator LANDRIEU. What about the 2 year? 

Mr. DONAHUE. The 2 year. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, visa reciprocity must be based, to the extent possible, 

on what the other country grants to Americans. Some Americans 

going to China are granted up to 1 year. Many are granted much 

less. Our Ambassador Locke in China has been talking to the Chinese Government about this issue. We would like to extend it to 

2 years or more with agreement from our colleagues from DHS, but 

we need the reciprocal agreement from the Chinese. 

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you. It has been a very excellent 

panel. Thank you so much, and if you all do not mind staying for 

the next 30 minutes to hear from the private sector, which is very 

important to hear from them about some of their successes as well 

as some of their challenges. 

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but were 

submitted to the Departments for response subsequent to the hearing:] 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO HON. JOHN S. PISTOLE

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

TSA’S PRECHECK PROGRAM

Question. Are you planning to expand the program beyond elite fliers and Global 

Entry members? If so, what is the Transportation Security Administration’s 

timeline and what risk-based criteria will be used for expanding PreCheck (Pre✓TM) 

eligibility beyond the scope of the current pilot testing? 

Answer. By the end of calendar year 2012, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to bring TSA Pre✓TM to a total of six airlines and over 30 of 

the Nation’s busiest airports. In addition to certain eligible frequent flyers and U.S. 
44 

Customs and Border Protection Trusted Travelers, TSA is conducting a proof of concept at Washington-Reagan National Airport (DCA) to incorporate members of the 

armed services into the expedited passenger screening model. This proof of concept 

aims to expand upon the existing expedited screening procedures for members of the 

military in uniform, which is required pursuant to ‘‘Risk-Based Security Screening 

for Members of the Armed Forces Act’’ (Public Law No. 112–086), and would allow 

members of the military who are not in uniform or traveling on official orders (as 

required under the recently enacted law) to take part in TSA Pre✓TM. In addition, 

TSA is currently partnering with the Department of Defense (DOD) to examine how 

DOD may provide TSA a list of TSA Pre✓TM-eligible Active Duty personnel. This 

approach would allow TSA’s Secure Flight program to automate identification of 

these travelers as TSA Pre✓TM-eligible. Accordingly, this will enhance our ability to 

offer DOD members TSA Pre✓TM at all of our TSA Pre✓TM sites. 

Additionally, TSA has met the requirements of the recently enacted ‘‘Risk-Based 

Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act,’’ Public Law No. 112–86. 

TSA’s long-standing policies for troops include the following expedited procedures in 

airport checkpoints nationwide: 

—United States service personnel in uniform with proper ID, whether or not traveling on official orders, are not required to remove their shoes or boots unless 

they alarm our technology. 

—Family members can obtain gate passes to accompany departing troops or meet 

their loved ones when they come home. 

—TSA also expedites screening for Honor Flight veterans, and partners with the 

Department of Defense (DOD) to expedite screening for wounded warriors. 

Question. How many participants are necessary for the program to be a success? 

Answer. TSA has established a goal for fiscal year 2013 to double the number of 

passengers who are eligible to participate in TSA Pre✓TM and other risk-based security initiatives. Based on our aggressive plan to continue to add additional large airports with heavy passenger volumes, as well as additional air carriers, we are extremely confident in our ability to successfully meet that goal. This will allow us 

to assess further expansion of TSA Pre✓TM to airports, air carriers, and low-risk 

populations. TSA will not measure success only by the number of participants but 

also based on factors such as passenger satisfaction. 

Currently, more than 90 percent of TSA Pre✓TM passengers surveyed are highly 

satisfied with the expedited screening experience. 

Question. Are you simply trusting that frequent fliers are not terrorists? What are 

you doing to prevent terrorists from ‘‘learning their way around’’ these new security 

measures? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration employs random, unpredictable security measures at any time. Therefore, no traveler is guaranteed to receive 

expedited screening every time they travel. Additional information on countermeasures is Sensitive Security Information and may be provided upon request. 

Question. Pre✓TM is available to any U.S. citizen who is a member of one of Customs and Border Protection’s trusted traveler programs, such as Global Entry. 

Charles Barclay from the American Association of Airport Executives points out in 

his written testimony that some two-thirds of the American public is currently ineligible for participation in Global Entry because they don’t hold a valid passport. 

What is the agency doing to ensure that all interested Americans are able to apply 

for and—if eligible—participate in the program? 

Answer. In addition to the currently participating airlines, American Airlines and 

Delta Air Lines, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expanding 

TSA Pre✓TM to include frequent flyers from additional airlines by the end of calendar year 2012. Interested individuals may apply to become a member of a U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler program, and opt in to become eligible for TSA Pre✓TM. For U.S. citizens who do not have a valid passport 

and who are not frequent flyers, the process to obtain a passport is available 

through the U.S. Department of State’s Web site, http://travel.state.gov. As part of 

the ongoing partnership across the Department of Homeland Security, TSA is closely partnering with CBP to provide additional enrollment opportunities to apply for 

membership in a CBP Trusted Traveler program. Current members of CBP’s Global 

Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS Trusted Traveler programs are automatically eligible 

to participate in TSA Pre✓TM. 

Question. Last year Congress appropriated $10 million for TSA to implement 

Pre✓TM. Are you properly resourced to expand this program? 

Answer. Yes. The current TSA Pre✓TM approach leverages existing U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection Trusted Traveler programs in conjunction with Secure Flight 

prescreening processes and infrastructure. 
45 

Question. Will investments in risk-based related programs result in net savings 

to TSA programs in the future? When should we expect those savings to be realized? 

Answer. The overarching goal of risk-based security is to improve security by enabling the Transportation Security Administration to better focus resources on those 

passengers who could pose the greatest risk—including those on terrorist watch 

lists—while providing expedited screening, and perhaps a better travel experience, 

to those considered our low-risk, trusted travelers. Other factors, such as cost efficiency and passenger satisfaction, may increase as a result of these approaches, but 

those consequences are incidental outputs rather than intended outcomes. 

Question. Based on the ‘‘proof of concept’’ pilot testing, what has been the average 

time savings for screening Pre✓TM passengers compared to other passengers? 

Answer. TSA Pre✓TM expedited passenger screening has been operational in a 

proof of concept manner within a small number of airports for only a limited 

amount of time. Preliminary results related to higher throughput and average 

screening time appear promising, but it is too soon to draw system-wide conclusions. 

In the interim, customer satisfaction data from both TSA (captured via airport kiosks and customer contact center inquiries) and the airlines demonstrate high levels 

of satisfaction with the expedited screening experience. 

Question. Has TSA conducted surveys of Pre✓TM participants? If so, what has the 

feedback been? Have any areas for improvement been identified? If so, what are 

they and what is TSA doing to evaluate and implement these suggestions? 

Answer. As of late March 2012, over 645,000 TSA Pre✓TM boarding passes were 

scanned at selected TSA airport checkpoints, enabling expedited screening for 

known travelers who opted in to participate. Customer satisfaction data from both 

TSA (captured via airport kiosks and customer contact center inquiries) and the airlines demonstrate high levels of satisfaction with the expedited screening experience. As a result of the feedback, TSA updated the public Web site with checkpoint 

specifics for each airport offering TSA Pre✓TM and worked with airlines and U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection to make enrollment/opt in instructions and other 

communication messages even more clear. The feedback also revealed the need for 

intensive marketing and other materials during the first few days of a new launch 

to inform individuals how to become eligible for TSA Pre✓TM. 

Question. What metrics are you putting into place to judge the success of the 

Pre✓TM program? 

Answer. The overarching goal of risk-based security is to improve security by enabling the Transportation Security Administration to better focus resources on passengers who are either unknown risk or high risk. Key indicators of success include 

security effectiveness; growth in passenger participation (new opt-ins/enrollments); 

checkpoint throughput capacity growth; completion rates for workforce training; passenger satisfaction rates as measured by kiosks and call center data; and the ongoing capability to bring additional airlines and populations into the process in a 

seamless manner as measured by successful execution of the expansion plan. Specific information on security effectiveness metrics is sensitive security information 

and may be provided upon request. 

EXPEDITED SCREENING FOR MILITARY MEMBERS

Question. What is your timeline for expanding this program nationwide? Will this 

expansion occur within the timeframe required by Public Law 112–86, the RiskBased Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act? 

Answer. TSA has met the requirements of the recently enacted ‘‘Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act,’’ Public Law No. 112–86. TSA’s 

long-standing policies for troops include the following expedited procedures in airport checkpoints nationwide: 

—United States service personnel in uniform with proper ID, whether traveling 

on official orders or not, are not required to remove their shoes or boots unless 

they alarm our technology; 

—Family members can obtain gate passes to accompany departing troops or meet 

their loved ones when they come home; and 

—TSA also expedites screening for Honor Flight veterans, and partners with the 

Department of Defense (DOD) to expedite screening for wounded warriors. 

In late March 2012, TSA initiated a proof of concept at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to screen Active Duty members of the U.S. military through 

the TSA Pre✓TM expedited passenger screening lanes. Active Duty servicemembers, 

including National Guard and Reserves on Active Duty, are eligible through presentation of a valid DOD-issued Common Access Card (CAC) at checkpoints enabled 

with DOD CAC readers. 
46 

Based on the outcome from the proof of concept, and the intention of moving away 

from a military ID card-based model and toward a list-based boarding pass issuance 

model, eligible servicemembers will be issued known traveler numbers by DOD for 

use when traveling, consistent with other Pre✓TM populations. TSA and DOD believe this approach will best enable eligible servicemembers to receive expedited 

screening at all Pre✓TM airports without the installation of additional hardware and 

software required for the CAC based pilot. TSA and DOD will collaboratively determine next steps and associated timelines for screening Active Duty members of the 

military through TSA Pre✓TM lanes. 

Question. How does TSA guard against someone like Major Hassan, the Fort Hood 

shooter, from having expedited screening? 

Answer. Information on countermeasures is sensitive security information and 

may be provided upon request. As we have always stated, the Transportation Security Administration may employ random, unpredictable security measures at any 

time. Therefore, no traveler is always guaranteed to receive expedited screening 

every time they travel. 

EXPEDITED SCREENING FOR PILOTS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Question. Airline pilots and flight crews are subject to extensive background 

checks, so it makes sense to allow these employees expedited access through airport 

screening checkpoints. In fact, the 9/11 Act required TSA to begin implementing 

such a system. In response to that requirement, you have been testing a program 

at seven airports where airline pilots can forgo physical screening if they show proper ID that is verified by a central database. 

What is your plan to expand this program to additional locations and what are 

the resource impacts of doing so? 

Answer. The Known Crewmember (KCM) pilot is a result of Government and industry partnership. As a condition of the program, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is provided, at no cost to the Government, the necessary hardware and software to operate the system. All equipment, software, and other costs 

were paid by industry, and no additional staffing was required for KCM at the 

seven pilot airports. TSA and industry are discussing expanding the program. 

Question. The 9/11 Act requires an expedited screening process for pilots and 

cabin crew members. Are you planning to adjust the system so that flight attendants can participate in this program and what is your timeline for doing so? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is currently in discussions with industry to expand Known Crewmember (KCM) to additional airports for 

uniformed pilot crew members. TSA has been studying all aspects of adding flight 

attendants to KCM for several months. Airlines have been notified that they must 

be prepared to make the necessary system updates to include flight attendant crew 

members if TSA decides to include them in KCM. TSA expects to make a final determination on adding flight attendants by late summer of 2012. 

Question. Please provide a comparison of the background checks pilots go through 

compared to flight attendants. Are the checks for all crew members the same? If 

not, please explain the differences. Please include the additional checks pilots in the 

Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program go through. 

Answer. The types and degree of background checks are identical for all crew 

members. Checks include identity validation, fingerprint based criminal history 

records checks, continuous TSA vetting, and name checks against TSA watch lists 

by airlines. 

FFDO background checks include results from criminal history records check; employment history check; credit history check; and, personal interviews, 

fromreferences provided by the candidate. 

CHECKED BAGGAGE FEES

Question. Administrator Pistole, last year Secretary Napolitano testified that TSA 

incurs an annual cost of $259 million to screen increased volumes of carry-on baggage caused by the airlines charging for the first checked bag. Your agency has confirmed that those costs remain the same today. The baggage fees are generating billions of dollars in annual revenues for the airlines, and yet they are not required 

to compensate TSA for these increased costs. To address this, last year I introduced 

legislation called the Fair Airline Industry Revenue (FAIR) Act to increase security 

fees on airlines that charge passengers for their first checked bag. 

What are the impacts of the airline checked baggage fees on passenger volume 

in general, on security, and the travel and tourism industry overall? 

Answer. In general, the imposition of checked baggage fees by air carriers on the 

traveling public does not appear to have negatively impacted air travel volume. 
47 

From 2009 through 2011, Department of Transportation statistics show that air carriers have collected over $8 billion in baggage fees from passengers, while passenger 

volume has increased by 3.7 percent. 

TSA security operations have been impacted by the imposition of air carrier 

checked baggage fees as we are experiencing an increase of volume in carry-on items 

at our checkpoints. TSA is seeing a notable change in checkpoint requirements and 

processing times since introduction of the checked baggage fees. To sustain checkpoint passenger throughput, TSA has adjusted operations to better manage an increased volume of carry-on effects. TSA estimates it costs approximately $260 million in annual additional resources to sustain current throughput rates given the 

increased volume of checkpoint processing. 

TSA BEHAVIOR DETECTION—ASSESSOR PROGRAM

Question. In fiscal year 2012, Congress included funding for 145 additional behavior detection officers, bringing the total to over 3,100 TSA-wide. You are currently 

running pilots at airports in Boston and Detroit where TSA behavior detection officers have increased interaction with passengers at the checkpoint. Some have 

termed this as a ‘‘chat-down.’’ 

Has this effort been an effective security layer? 

Answer. The purpose of the Assessor enhanced behavior detection pilot program 

is to evaluate the impact of enhanced behavior detection training and assessment 

on security effectiveness. The goal is to develop an enhanced program that utilizes 

a wide range of behavior analysis tools to identify potential threats while improving 

screening efficiencies and the passenger experience. This new capability builds upon 

the strengths of the Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) 

program, wherein an April 2011 study conducted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), under the sponsorship of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) indicated that the SPOT program was 

significantly more effective than random screening: travelers carrying dangerous/ 

prohibited items or resulting in a law enforcement arrest were nine times more likely to be identified using SPOT as compared to random referral screening. The Assessor also fits within the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) risk-based 

security model. Like SPOT, the Assessor enhanced behavior detection program focuses on applying behavior detection resources on individuals displaying suspicious 

indicators. 

TSA is currently collecting data at these pilot sites to evaluate the effect of enhanced behavior detection on security effectiveness, efficiency, passenger satisfaction, cost, and industry vitality. Preliminary data reveals support for the pilot; however, additional data is required (and being collected) to provide a complete analysis 

of the value of this new layer. 

Question. Will it be expanded to Pre✓TM lanes? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is currently collecting 

data at these pilot sites to evaluate the effect of Assessor on security effectiveness, 

efficiency, passenger satisfaction, cost, and industry vitality. Should the results be 

favorable, TSA will begin expansion of this skill to its behavior detection officer 

workforce beginning in 2012. TSA is currently exploring implementing a new enhanced behavior detection proof of concept (PoC) for Boston Logan International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport. This PoC combines Assessor skills with Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques 

(SPOT) program operations. By melding the best practices of both the SPOT program and the Assessor proof of concept together, this new option represents the next 

step toward defining the optimal behavior analysis capability for TSA’s risk-based 

security objectives. 

Question. Please describe the steps TSA has taken to address the concerns raised 

by the Government Accountability Office. 

Answer. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) completed an audit of the 

Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program in May 2011. 

Eleven recommendations resulted from this audit and are outlined below with the 

status of each: 

—GAO recommended that an independent panel of experts review the methodology of the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) validation study to determine whether the methodology is 

comprehensive enough to validate the program. DHS S&T completed an independent peer review of the study’s methodology in June 2011. This panel review 

resulted in support of the methodology as a whole. This recommendation was 

closed in December 2011. 
48 

—GAO recommended that a comprehensive risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis be conducted to determine the effective deployment of SPOT with a comparison to other security screening programs. TSA has developed a risk and cost 

analysis framework, which has been applied to several different physical countermeasures such as advanced imaging technology and x-ray. Based on its internal validation processes, TSA is refining the framework and data in order to 

complete the risk and cost analysis work for behavior detection officers (BDOs). 

The behavior detection capability serves as a routing function to channel higher 

risk passengers toward additional screening. TSA is conducting ongoing analysis to understand the cost-effectiveness thresholds for alternative concepts of 

operation. TSA is working with DHS S&T to develop more definitive data on 

the probability of detection (P(d)) and probability of encounter (P(e)) of BDOs. 

In 2011, DHS S&T issued a report validating that BDOs provide effectiveness 

significantly better than random, but that study was not designed to elicit a 

precise probability of detection. TSA continues to gather operational data pointing to P(d) and P(e) and works with DHS S&T to further meaningfully quantify 

P(d) in non-operational evaluations. These recommendations remain open. 

—GAO recommended that the SPOT program revise its strategic plan by incorporating risk assessment, identifying cost and resources, linking it to other related TSA strategic documents, describing how SPOT is integrated and implemented with TSA’s other layers of aviation security, and providing guidance on 

how to effectively link the roles, responsibilities and capabilities of Federal, 

State, and local officials providing program support. TSA is finalizing a SPOT 

strategic plan, which includes strategic goals for fiscal years 2012 and 2013, detailed action plans, and resource requirements to achieve each strategic goal. 

Recently, the SPOT Program Management Office was moved from the Office of 

Security Operations to the Office of Security Capabilities (OSC). The SPOT 

strategic plan is being revised to align with OSC goals and objectives. TSA expects to complete the SPOT strategic plan by the end of the second quarter of 

fiscal year 2012. This recommendation remains open. 

—GAO recommended studying the feasibility of using airport checkpoint-surveillance video recordings of individuals transiting checkpoints, and who were later 

charged with or pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offenses, to enhance its understanding of terrorist behaviors in the airport checkpoint environment. On 

June 10, 2011, TSA completed a field survey to determine closed-circuit television (CCTV) capability at individual airports, including the presence of CCTV 

systems, the retention time of checkpoint surveillance footage, and the quality 

of video recordings. The feasibility study will be completed by the end of the 

third quarter of fiscal year 2012 at which time TSA will request that GAO close 

the recommendation. This recommendation remains open. 

—GAO recommended that guidance be provided in the SPOT standard operating 

procedure (SOP) or other TSA directive to BDOs, or other TSA personnel, on 

inputting data into the Transportation Information Sharing System (TISS) and 

set milestones and a timeframe for deploying TISS access to SPOT airports so 

that TSA and intelligence community entities have information from all SPOT 

law enforcement officer (LEO) referrals readily available to assist in ‘‘connecting 

the dots’’ and identifying potential terror plots. All airport operations with 

SPOT have appropriate training and access to report into TISS. This was included in the most recent SPOT SOP. This recommendation has been closed. 

—GAO recommended to implement the steps called for in the TSA Office of Security Operations business plan to develop a standardized process for allowing 

BDOs or other designated airport officials to send information to TSA’s Transportation Security Operations Center (TSOC) about passengers whose behavior 

indicates that they may pose a threat to security, and provide guidance on how 

designated TSA officials are to receive information back from the TSOC, and 

GAO also recommended that all of the databases available to the TSOC be utilized when running passengers who rise to the level of a LEO referral against 

intelligence and criminal databases. On March 5, 2012, an update was provided 

to GAO. TSA believes that efforts it has made in the last 2 years address the 

issue identified by GAO; specifically, the advent of Secure Flight and the increased LEO response rate to referrals. A letter to GAO emphasizing these 

points is being drafted. It will also include a discussion concerning why it is not 

possible to access certain law enforcement databases for this purpose. These 

recommendations remain open. 

—GAO recommended establishing a plan that includes objectives, milestones, and 

timeframes to develop outcome-oriented performance measures to help refine 

the current methods used by BDOs for identifying individuals who may pose a 

risk to the aviation system. TSA is establishing a panel of experts in behavior 
49 

analysis, performance measures, and predictive analysis to review current 

metrics and identify additional outcome based performance metrics. The panel 

is expected to stand up in the third quarter of fiscal year, but this date may 

be influenced by budget restrictions. To mitigate this issue, the program office 

created its own internal working group that met for the first time during the 

week of February 6, 2012. This internal working group included experts from 

the field, and other internal supporting program offices to discuss current 

metrics, establish new metrics, and identify gaps and future needs. The internal 

working group will be working to align TSA’s performance outcome-oriented 

goals with TSA’s Behavior Detection Analysis Division Strategic Plan. In addition to the internal working group, TSA will also be aligning research and development to these outcome-based performance metrics. The plan as described 

will be completed by the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 at which 

time TSA will request that GAO close the recommendation. This recommendation remains open. 

—GAO recommended establishing controls to help ensure completeness, accuracy, 

authorization, and validity of data collected during SPOT screening. The SPOT 

Performance Management Information System (PMIS) was demonstrated to 

GAO at which time they agreed to close this recommendation. This recommendation has been closed. 

—GAO recommended establishing timeframes and milestones for its plan to systematically conduct evaluations of the SPOT training program on a periodic 

basis. The DHS S&T sponsored a comprehensive job analysis for the BDO position that was completed in 2010. Based on these findings, the Office of Training 

Workforce and Engagement (OTWE) completed a training task analysis (TTA) 

that will be periodically evaluated and updated. This document provides analysis on the training gaps that exist based on the current training curricula and 

what is required of the BDO position. This recommendation is open and has 

been requested closed. 

ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNOLOGY

Question. Following the failed attempt to blow up Northwest flight 253 on Christmas Day in 2009, the Department accelerated its request to field advanced imaging 

technology machines to detect both metallic and non-metallic threats. Congress has 

supported your requests and has funded 1,250 of these units through fiscal year 

2012. Funding for the first 500 machines was included in the Recovery Act followed 

by 500 additional machines in fiscal year 2011. The last 250 were funded in the fiscal year 2012 DHS Appropriations Act. Approximately 640 of the 1,250 have been 

fielded, just over half. 

Your budget indicates that a total of 1,800 AIT machines are needed. There is no 

money in your request to go beyond the current level of 1,250. 

Are you planning to meet the 1,800 requirement in future years? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reviewing the current full operational capability for advanced imaging technology (AIT) units. The 

initial estimate of 1,800 may change based on TSA’s risk-based security initiatives, 

potential reductions in processing times, and qualification of new and innovative 

AIT solutions. 

TSA has acquired two different types of AIT machines. Both serve the same purpose, but one is made with a technology called millimeter wave and the other is 

made with a technology called backscatter. There are approximately 250 backscatter 

machines fielded at airports today and 390 millimeter wave machines. The millimeter wave machines have been upgraded with software called automated target 

recognition which automatically displays a cartoon outline of the passenger instead 

of a real image. This was a major advancement in terms of passenger privacy. The 

backscatter machines still require a human operator to view the passenger’s real 

image. 

TSA has acquired two different types of AIT machines. Both serve the same purpose, but one is made with a technology called millimeter wave and the other is 

made with a technology called backscatter. There are approximately 250 backscatter 

machines fielded at airports today and 390 millimeter wave machines. The millimeter wave machines have been upgraded with software called automated target 

recognition which automatically displays a cartoon outline of the passenger instead 

of a real image. 

This was a major advancement in terms of passenger privacy. The backscatter 

machines still require a human operator to view the passenger’s real image. 

Question. Can you tell the subcommittee when the backscatter machines will be 

upgraded with the automated target recognition software? 
50 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is working with all 

advanced imaging technology (AIT) system vendors to ensure the implementation of 

automated target recognition (ATR) software. TSA has successfully tested, upgraded, and implemented ATR on all deployed millimeter wave AIT systems. TSA’s 

backscatter AIT vendor has had difficulty in meeting the ATR requirements; because of that delay, airport testing will not commence until spring 2012. Airport 

testing and system evaluations, along with other assessments and system upgrades, 

will take approximately 240 days to complete; therefore, TSA expects to have ATR 

on 100 percent of AIT units by spring 2013. 

AVIATION SECURITY CAPITAL FUND

Question. Of the $250 million available from the Aviation Security Capital Fund 

(ASCF) for fiscal year 2012, how much does the agency intend to use for EDS equipment procurement? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration plans to utilize approximately $146.3 million of the fiscal year 2012 ASCF for explosives detection systems 

equipment procurement. Related equipment installation costs of approximately 

$50.2 million will also be funded from the ASCF. These estimates may change based 

on requirements determined as a result of ongoing field evaluations and airport 

readiness. 

Question. How much will be dedicated for airport terminal upgrades? 

Answer. In fiscal year 2012, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 

plans to utilize approximately $53.5 million for facility modifications at airports. As 

part of TSA’s recapitalization efforts, $40.2 million will be awarded for facility modifications and $12.3 million will be dedicated to facility modifications associated with 

new in-line checked baggage inspection systems. Additionally, $1.0 million will be 

used to upgrade existing checked baggage inspection systems to comply with current 

TSA standards. These estimates may change based on requirements determined as 

a result of ongoing field evaluations and airport readiness. 

Question. How much in Aviation Security Capital Fund (ASCF) resources do you 

propose to use for explosives detection systems equipment purchases in fiscal year 

2013? 

Answer. In fiscal year 2013, the Transportation Security Administration plans to 

utilize approximately $183.9 million of the ASCF to purchase explosives detection 

systems equipment. Installation costs of about $37.8 million and facility modifications totaling about $28.3 million will also be funded from the ASCF. These estimates may change based on the requirements confirmed as a result of on-going field 

evaluations and airport readiness. 

Question. What impact will the use of ASCF resources for equipment rather than 

airport modifications have on efforts to upgrade baggage screening systems at airports in fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year 2013? 

Answer. The large increases in funding for explosives detection systems in the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other recent appropriations helped 

the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) complete nearly all airport facility modification projects for category X and I airports. TSA continues to encourage 

airports to submit applications for in-line baggage screening systems; however, an 

in-line system or facility modification is not always an optimal solution for an airport. Optimal solutions for airports include both stand-alone systems and in-line 

systems which vary on an airport-by-airport basis; therefore, not all airports require 

an in-line system. Additionally, TSA has found that many smaller airports either 

do not have their share of funding to support a facility modification or have not expressed interest. As a result, there are few applications to fund facility modifications 

and the overall requirement is small. 

TSA plans to fund two facility modifications for which it received applications 

using the fiscal year 2012 Aviation Security Capital Fund: Bellingham International 

Airport and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. TSA also plans to use a 

combination of mandatory and discretionary funds to award five other transactional 

agreements for facility modifications associated with in-line Checked Baggage Inspection Systems (CBIS) during fiscal year 2012. All requested facility modification 

projects that satisfied the criteria outlined in TSA’s Program Guidelines and Design 

Standards for CBIS were funded in fiscal year 2012. 

At this time, TSA has received a small number of airport applications for consideration for funding the construction of an in-line CBIS in fiscal year 2013. TSA will 

review applications received and prioritize the requirements within the framework 

of its risk-based prioritization process which considers requirement factors such as 

equipment for growth and critical operational projects needed to remain compliant 

with screening mandates. 
51 

Additionally, as part of TSA’s efforts to recapitalize the aging equipment in its 

fleet, some airports may be identified where the replacement of existing baggage 

screening equipment with an in-line system can be justified by project costs and 

operational efficiencies. 

Question. What are you doing to ensure that adequate funding is available for airport facility modifications necessary to accommodate new explosives detection systems (EDS) equipment? 

Answer. The large increases in funding for explosives detection systems in the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other recent appropriations helped 

the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) complete nearly all airport facility modification projects and shift its focus to the recapitalization of its aging fleet. 

TSA’s plans include funding for facility modifications required to replace existing 

equipment with new explosives detection systems and explosives trace detection 

units on a one-for-one basis. Additionally, as airport screening areas are identified 

where the replacement of existing equipment with optimal systems can be justified 

by project costs and operational efficiencies, funds will be budgeted to support those 

projects. TSA continues to encourage airports to apply for funds to assist in the construction of in-line checked baggage inspection systems. TSA will review applications and prioritize the requirements within the program framework of its riskbased prioritization process, which considers requirement factors such as equipment 

for growth and critical operational projects needed to remain compliant with screening mandates. 

SECURITY PROCEDURES FOR AIRPORT EMPLOYEES

Question. Please describe screening and access control procedures that are in 

place to prevent airport employees from bringing dangerous items into sensitive 

areas like tarmacs or aircraft cargo holds. 

What are the current screening protocols for airport employees? 

Answer. Airport employees are subjected to multiple levels of security screening 

measures, as follows: 

—Background checks are completed on all airport employees, and the same employees are continually vetted against various databases. Also, many airports 

have installed biometric scanning devices, which are used to screen airport employees before they are allowed to enter the secured or sterile areas. 

—In addition, multiple physical security layers are in place to prevent airport employees from bringing dangerous items into sensitive areas. Many of the layers 

are implemented in a random and unpredictable manner. These include: 

—TSA screens airport employees holding sterile area or secure identification 

display area badges who access the sterile area via the security screening 

checkpoint in the same manner as enplaning passengers. 

—Transportation security officers (TSOs) periodically conduct Playbook activities, which consist of airport employee screening at access points leading directly into the secured (tarmac) or sterile (terminal) areas. This screening 

may take place in or around the airport terminal or at access points on the 

airport perimeter and may include a physical search of an airport employee’s 

bags. 

—Transportation security inspectors (TSIs) conduct various inspections and 

tests in and around tarmacs, baggage areas, and aircraft. These tests include 

verifying that employees have visible and accurate ID media. TSIs routinely 

conduct inspections of aircraft operators, such as verifying that aircraft cargo 

holds have been swept for prohibited items before loading new baggage or 

freight. TSIs’ presence acts as a deterrent and represents an additional layer 

of security. 

Question. What are the respective roles of airport security officials and the TSA? 

Answer. Airport operators are required per 49 C.F.R. 1542.3(a) to designate one 

or more airport security coordinators (ASC). ASCs generally serve as the airport operator’s primary point of contact for security-related activity and communications 

with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). 

Airport operators are responsible for submitting an Airport Security Program 

(ASP) to the responsible TSA Federal Security Director (FSD) for approval. The 

ASP’s approval is contingent on the FSD or designated TSA official determining the 

document complies with all content requirements as specified in 49 C.F.R. part 

1542. Procedures for access and movement control within the secured areas and air 

operations area (AOAs) are required elements of an ASP. At the discretion of the 

airport operator, the ASP may also contain more restrictive requirements for entry 

to the sterile, secured, or air operations areas than those baseline requirements 
52 

identified in 49 C.F.R. 1542. TSA officials regularly meet with airport officials and 

aircraft operators to discuss and fine tune security procedures. 

Airport operators with a complete ASP are responsible for providing secure identification display area (SIDA) training classes, which are a prerequisite to an employee’s receipt of SIDA access media. The training classes must include proper access 

procedures for entry to the airport access-controlled areas to include the sterile area, 

SIDA, and AOA, per 49 C.F.R. 1542.213. TSA screens airport employees holding 

sterile area or SIDA who access the sterile area via the security screening checkpoint in the same manner as enplaning passengers. TSA also conducts Playbook security screening of individuals accessing sensitive areas of the airport via doors and 

airport perimeter vehicle gates located away from passenger security screening 

checkpoints. 

Finally, airport law enforcement officers (LEOs) at several airports have deployed 

sophisticated surveillance systems that alert LEO dispatchers when a sensitive 

area’s access door is opened. In those cases where an access door is opened and a 

determination is made that the individual was improperly bypassing security checkpoint screening while carrying a bag or similar item, the airport police frequently 

issues the individual a citation and suspends the individual’s sterile area/SIDA access media. The incident is also reported to the TSA for further investigation. 

Question. What resources do you dedicate to this effort? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has allocated 1,654 

full time equivalent (FTE) transportation security officers (TSO) in fiscal year 2012 

to the Playbook program. 

From April 1, 2011–March 31, 2012, Playbook has screened 3,325,472 employees 

at 162 airports that conduct Playbook. The total number of hours spent screening 

employees was 826,015 hours for the past 12 months. 

A national cadre of 710 transportation security inspectors–aviation (TSIs–aviation) monitors, tests, and inspects airport compliance of established regulations, 

such as access control issues, Airport Security Program implementation, and other 

security regulations. 

Question. In 2008, an independent study on airport employee screening concluded 

that random screening was just as effective as 100-percent screening. 100 percent 

screening of airport employees was deemed cost-prohibitive. Do you conduct random 

screening today at the levels evaluated in the independent study? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does conduct screening of airport employees on a random and unpredictable basis. Such screening activities are conducted in accordance with the Playbook standard operating procedures (formerly Aviation Direct Access Screening Program) and include screening of 

employees and/or their property and vehicles at locations such as direct access 

points, screening checkpoints, and vehicle SIDA gates. The number of plays scheduled that include airport employee screening is left to local Federal Security Director (FSD) discretion based on the individual layout and operating conditions of the 

airport. Airports with more direct access points and vehicle gates will require a 

greater number of plays targeted at employee screening. While the 2008 Office of 

Inspector General study did not include a benchmark percentage for screening employees, FSDs are expected to make risk-based and intelligence-driven decisions on 

the proper amount of plays scheduled to ensure that employee screening is an effective deterrent. 

SCREENING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Question. Based on the new requirements in the FAA re-authorization bill, how 

will TSA compare costs of Federal screening versus private contractor screening? 

Will imputed costs not accounted for in TSA’s budget be used as part of the comparison? If imputed costs are included, is there a possibility that TSA could end up 

spending more for airport security through an SPP contract than the amount it estimated as necessary for Federal screening? 

Answer. Currently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) develops a 

range of cost estimates for Federal screening, which shows multiple assumptions. 

TSA examines the impact to its budget and the long-term imputed retirement costs 

using Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance. It is possible that TSA 

could be compelled to request additional funds from Congress or reduce Federal resources if a Screening Partnership Program (SPP) contract were more expensive 

than Federal screening. 

Question. How many applications or notices of application has TSA received since 

the FAA authorization bill was signed into law? How many SPP applications has 

TSA received in the past 2 years? 
53 

Answer. Since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law No. 112–95) was signed into law on February 14, 

2012, TSA has received two new Screening Partnership Program (SPP) applications 

from the Sacramento International Airport and the Orlando-Sanford International 

Airport. These applications follow the format prescribed by the recently enacted 

FAA law. 

TSA also received two requests for reconsideration, which were submitted under 

section 830(d) Reconsideration of Applications Pending as of January 1, 2011, from 

Orlando-Sanford and Glacier Park International Airports. 

In the last 2 years, TSA received applications from Missoula International Airport 

and Springfield-Branson Regional Airport during 2010; the Orlando-Sanford International Airport (two applications), Bert Mooney Airport, and West Yellowstone Airport during 2011; and the Sacramento International Airport (old and new applications), the Glacier Park Airport (request for reconsideration), and the Orlando-Sanford Airport (request for reconsideration and new application) during 2012. 

Question. What areas does the Transportation Security Administration investigate 

when an application is filed under the SPP? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) considers many areas 

when determining whether to accept an application. The primary areas evaluated 

are cost and security effectiveness, including the impact to the overall TSA security 

network. Specifically and at a minimum, TSA will look at indicators and measures 

that relate to an airport’s security performance, workforce structure/dynamic, organizational interrelation, cost, and other location specific factors. 

Question. What is the size of TSA procurement staff processing Screening Partnership Program (SPP) applications? Will the expected increase in SPP applications 

and statutorily mandated deadline require additions to TSA’s procurement staff 

processing those applications? 

Answer. Currently, there are six full-time SPP Office personnel and four full-time 

Office of Acquisition personnel who process SPP applications, with legal review provided by the Office of Chief Counsel. The Transportation Security Administration 

(TSA) is evaluating the TSA procurement staffing needs following the enactment of 

the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public 

Law No. 112–95). 

Question. TSA is now required by law to inform a contractor precisely what was 

deficient in their application. Does this requirement pose a security risk in that TSA 

will have to divulge SSI or information vital to TSA’s mission of aviation security? 

Answer. Since the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform 

Act of 2012 (Public Law No. 112–95) was signed into law on February 14, 2012, the 

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is required to provide the airport operator, not a contractor, the findings that served as the basis for the denial and the 

results of any cost or security analysis conducted in considering the application. 

TSA is evaluating the requirement to provide reports on denied applications. Should 

TSA deny any application for security-related reasons, it will provide the airport operator with appropriate information in accordance with the FAA law, while ensuring 

the protection of such information. 

KNOWN CREWMEMBER PROGRAM

Question. TSA’s Known Crewmember initiative allows pilots to forego regular 

screening procedures if they show two forms of verifiable ID, but flight attendants 

are not eligible to participate in the program. 

Would you respond to the proposal to expand enrollment in the Known Crewmember Program to members of the cabin crew? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is currently in discussions with industry to expand Known Crewmember (KCM) to additional airports for 

uniformed pilot crew members. TSA has been studying all aspects of adding flight 

attendants to KCM for several months. Airlines have been notified that they must 

be prepared to make the necessary system updates to include flight attendant crew 

members if TSA decides to include them in KCM. TSA expects to make a final determination on adding flight attendants by late summer of 2012. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR DANIEL COATS

RISK-BASED PASSENGER SCREENING (TSA PRECHECK PROGRAM)

Question. All aviation passengers are pre-screened through TSA’s Secure Flight 

database. CBP’s ‘‘trusted traveler’’ programs—Global Entry, SENTRI, and 

NEXUS—which provide eligibility for TSA PreCheck (Pre✓TM) not only require a 
54 

criminal and law enforcement background check but charge a fee for enrollment. 

What, if any, additional background checks/fees are paid by ‘‘frequent flyers’’ qualifying for the TSA Pre✓TM program which allow them to be determined ‘‘less risky’’ 

travelers? 

Answer. First and foremost, all travelers, including frequent flyers and travelers 

enrolled in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Global Entry program, are 

always first screened by Secure Flight against the U.S. Government’s consolidated 

terrorist watch list maintained by the Federal Government. At present, certain frequent flyers that opt into TSA Pre✓TM, as well as Global Entry members, may be 

eligible for expedited screening in a TSA Pre✓TM lane. To enroll in a CBP Trusted 

Traveler program, and to renew every 5 years, travelers must provide extensive biographic and biometric information to CBP and US–VISIT, submit to terrorism, 

criminal, immigration, agriculture, customs violation, and other checks. Applicants 

must also complete a CBP officer interview of travel history. There is a $100 fee 

for enrollment in Global Entry, which is valid for 5 years. Frequent flyer eligibility 

criteria and prescreening analysis factors, including comparisons to the CBP Trusted Traveler population, are sensitive security information and may be provided upon 

request. 

Question. Will vacation/occasional air travelers and families who do not fly over 

50,000 miles a year or meet a similar ‘‘frequent flyer’’ threshold ever have the opportunity to take advantage of expedited screening (i.e., TSA Pre✓TM)? Or, will their 

only route into the program be to qualify and pay to enroll in one of CBP’s ‘‘trusted 

traveler’’ programs? 

Answer. For non-frequent flyers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted 

Traveler programs, such as Global Entry, are the best method for becoming eligible 

for expedited screening in a TSA Pre✓TM lane. 

Furthermore, although they may choose not to pursue expedited screening, nonTSA Pre✓TM passengers are benefiting from modifications to the standard screening 

process. 

As one example, effective in August 2011, TSA deployed nationwide revised 

screening procedures for children 12 and under. This change dramatically reduced, 

but did not fully eliminate, the number of pat-downs for this population. As of midMarch, TSA is currently testing similarly revised protocols for adults appearing at 

least 75 years old. 

Assuming the pilot demonstrates nationwide viability, TSA will adjust the screening procedures in the standard lane for this older population. Each time TSA uses 

intelligence information and a risk-based approach to modify standard screening 

lane procedures like this, our officers are able to focus on the more likely adversaries, while also improving the passenger experience through reduced divestiture 

and touch rates. 

Question. Mr. Pistole, you have publicly claimed that TSA’s move from a one-sizefits-all to a risk-based model in airline passenger screening in recent years saves 

your agency money. Could you please quantify those savings for us and where they 

are being achieved? 

Answer. The overarching goal of risk-based security is to improve security by enabling the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to better focus resources on 

passengers who pose either an unknown risk or high risk. As one example, in August 2011, TSA deployed revised screening procedures for children 12 and under. 

These procedures are informed by intelligence and risk analysis. This risk-based adjustment dramatically reduced, but did not fully eliminate, the number of pat-downs 

for this population. Time previously spent conducting such actions is now available 

for officers to focus on more likely adversaries. This is a re-focusing of resources, 

better aligning them with risk, not an overall reduction in net resources required. 

Question. What reduction in wait times is Pre✓TM having so far, both for enrollees 

and those travelers not eligible? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) records all incidents 

when wait times of 20 minutes or more occur. A review of that data reflects no increase for the airports where Pre✓TM has been implemented. Otherwise, TSA 

Pre✓TM expedited passenger screening has been operational in a proof of concept 

manner within a small number of airports for only a limited amount of time. It is 

too soon to draw system-wide conclusions about throughput, screening time, and 

wait time. In the interim, customer satisfaction data from both TSA (captured via 

airport kiosks and customer contact center inquiries) and the airlines demonstrate 

high levels of satisfaction with the expedited screening experience. 

Question. What is your long-range vision for the Pre✓TM program? 

Answer. By the end of calendar year 2012, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is aiming to partner with a total of six airlines to bring TSA Pre✓TM

to over 30 of the Nation’s busiest airports. Additional known traveler populations, 
55 

such as members of the armed services and growing enrollments within U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry program, will be incorporated in a manner that reduces risk, positively impacting checkpoint efficiency, passenger experience, and workforce satisfaction. 

TSA Pre✓TM is only one part of TSA’s long-term vision to deliver the most effective security in the most efficient manner. TSA Pre✓TM combines with other approaches such as real-time threat assessment capabilities (including enhanced behavior detection and security technology), and enhanced prescreening (via Secure 

Flight) to provide benefits across the aviation security spectrum. In the long term, 

TSA’s intelligence-driven, risk-based security efforts will, on a growing basis, enable 

TSA officers to focus security screening processes and technology on higher risk 

travelers. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY

CANINE EXPLOSIVES DETECTION

Question. Director Pistole: As you point out in your budget request, and I quote: 

‘‘Explosives detection canine teams are proven and reliable resources in the detection of explosives and are a key component in a balanced counter-sabotage program.’’ My concern is that despite these claims your budget proposes cutting over 

$2,000,000 from the National Explosive Detection Canine Training Program. Canine 

detection teams are non-invasive, visible, and cost-effective assets that, unlike a 

body scanner, can be moved throughout our transportation infrastructure in minutes. I understand the need for as tight a budget as possible but I have serious concerns about this proposed cut, given the importance of canines in the explosives detection enterprise. 

Considering this, what level of funding is TSA dedicating to research on the 

breeding, training, deployment and use of canine detection teams in the transportation system? 

Answer. The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) National Explosives Detection Canine Training Program is comprised of operational entities and 

does not engage in research. Recognizing the importance of research in the canine 

field, TSA has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science 

& Technology (S&T) to determine possible behavioral, physiological, and genetic indicators of successful explosives detection dogs. 

The contractual commitments with DHS S&T are set out in the following table: 

CONTRACTS FUNDED BY S&T 

Description Fiscal year 2011 Fiscal year 2012 Fiscal year 2013 Fiscal year 2014 

University of Texas (started in fiscal year 2010 with 

4 option years) ......................................................... $350,000 $350,000 $350,000 $350,000 

Dog Genetics, LLC (Started in fiscal year 2010 with 4 

option years) ............................................................ 288,447 288,587 269,460 277,865 

Total ................................................................ 638,447 638,587 619,460 627,865 

Question. At your current levels, are category X and category 1 airports fully supported by passenger screening canines? What about our smaller airports? If not, 

what is TSA’s timetable for providing canine coverage? 

Answer. Current allocations only provide coverage at 30 airports, a mix of category X and category 1 airports. There is no plan to expand beyond the 120 passenger screening canines currently authorized. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO THOMAS S. WINKOWSKI

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

CBP WAIT TIMES AND STAFFING

Question. International arrivals at U.S. gateway airports are projected to rise anywhere from 5 to 26 percent this summer compared to last year. To cite just one example, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport projects an increase of 10.5 percent during peak 

hours. 
56 

This increase in travel is a positive for the U.S. economy, but it will quickly become a problem if there aren’t enough CBP officers at the airports to process visitors 

efficiently. 

In light of these projections and the fact that a number of these airports already 

appear to be understaffed, why is it that CBP is not seeking funds in fiscal year 

2013 for additional CBP officers? And does your request take into account the forecasted growth in demand? 

Over the past 10 years, CBP has put in place an automated passenger processing 

system. Given these improvements, what is the estimate of how much time it takes 

a CBP officer to process an average person during the primary inspection? 

How much faster can a U.S. citizen be processed if they are a member of a known 

traveler program such as Global Entry? 

The U.S. Travel Association has suggested a target processing time of 30 minutes 

for international visitors, but reported delays in some instances up to 3 hours. 

Answer. CBP has developed a workload staffing model that serves as the primary 

decision-support tool for identifying staffing requirements at air, land, and sea 

ports. A congressional report that outlines the model is currently being drafted and 

cleared within DHS. Through the workload staffing model, CBP is able to identify 

that additional officers would help maintain and improve processing times. While 

the fiscal year 2013 President’s budget does not request additional officers, it does 

continue to support programs and technology investments that give CBP officers the 

data and tools to process people and cargo faster. Additionally, the 2013 budget includes proposed legislation that would allow CBP to enter into agreements with corporations, non-Federal Government agencies and interested parties for the reimbursement of inspection services that are not currently offered by CBP, such as 

service for additional flights and new airports. Current statutory limitations on 

CBP’s authority to receive outside funding, except in narrowly defined instances, 

have prevented CBP from receiving reimbursement from private sector and international, State, and local partners. This has resulted in the denial of the requested 

services or the provision of services without reimbursement. 

The average processing times during a primary inspection are as follows: 

Passenger type Air 1 Land 1 Sea 1

United States Citizens (USCs) ................................................................... 1.0 ........................ 0.5

Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) ......................................................... 2.0 ........................ 1.0 

Non-Resident Aliens ................................................................................... 3.0 ........................ 3.0 

Canadian Nationals (pre-clearance) ......................................................... 1.2—1.9 ........................ ........................

Passenger Vehicles .................................................................................... ........................ 0.93 ........................

Passenger Vehicles at Dedicated Commuter Lanes .................................. ........................ 0.25 ........................

Bus Passengers ......................................................................................... ........................ 1.00 ........................

Pedestrians ................................................................................................ ........................ 0.25 ........................

Train Passengers ....................................................................................... ........................ 0.25 ........................

1Minutes used as unit of measure. 

U.S. citizens can clear the Global Entry kiosk in an average of 40 seconds, 20 seconds faster than a regular primary inspection. Global Entry travelers also experience a notable time savings by not having to wait in line to be processed by an officer. Global Entry travelers rarely encounter a line for the kiosks. 

Question. Does CBP have a target processing time and, if so, what is it? 

Answer. CBP strives to process arriving travelers as quickly as possible while 

maintaining the highest standards of security. CBP closely monitors wait times and 

works with field managers to implement facilitative passenger programs and innovative strategies to mitigate wait times. Current statistics indicate that 88 percent 

of international air travelers wait less than 45 minutes for processing. In fact, 73 

percent of international air travelers wait less than 30 minutes for CBP processing. 

CBP is working with airport authorities to document the entire processing time 

of passengers, including time entering the facility, time spent waiting for baggage 

and other elements of the passenger experience. 

Question. How often does the agency meet that target? 

Answer. CBP is working with airport authorities to document the entire processing time of passengers, including time entering the facility, time spent waiting 

for baggage and other elements of the passenger experience. 

Current statistics indicate that 88 percent of international air travelers wait less 

than 45 minutes for processing. In fact, 73 percent of international air travelers 

wait less than 30 minutes for CBP processing. 
57 

To enhance air passenger facilitation over the near and mid terms, CBP is implementing an aggressive, multi-pronged mitigation strategy. This strategy is comprised of three key elements: 

—effective use of existing resources; 

—partnerships with carriers and airport authorities on facilitation measures; and 

—enhanced risk segmentation through increases in trusted traveler membership. 

Question. Please explain the staffing workload alignment tool (SWAT) and whether you believe it can improve performance in this area. 

Answer. The staffing workload alignment tool (SWAT) is a scheduling tool that 

has the potential to improve staffing decisions and, therefore, assist in the speedy 

inspection of international arrivals. CBP developed SWAT at JFK International Airport to handle the unique staffing challenges at JFK—five independent international arrival facilities with each fluctuating daily peaks—to optimally deploy personnel resources. An enhancement of the SWAT is the airport wait time console real 

time flightboard, which utilizes live data feeds from multiple sources to create a 

view of passenger arrival data, thereby allowing port personnel to make optimal 

staff scheduling decisions. By taking into account factors such as aircraft arrival 

time, facility constraints, passenger volume and passenger admission classifications, 

port managers are able to make real-time adjustments to staffing in order to minimize passenger wait times. The real time flightboard is currently being used at JFK 

International Airport and has proven effective. It is now being tested at Los Angeles 

International Airport to determine its effectiveness at airports other than JFK 

International Airport. 

TARGETING HIGH-RISK PASSENGERS

Question. In the fiscal year 2012 DHS Appropriations Act, Congress provided additional funding for operations at the National Targeting Center of nearly $5 million, as well as an additional $10 million in funding for CBP’s Automated Targeting 

Systems. Can you tell us how those funds are being used and how these enhancements will help facilitate international travel and improve passenger processing at 

air ports of entry? 

Answer. The additional $5.0 million in funding will support requisite staffing levels at the National Targeting Center–Passenger (NTC–P) by funding the salaries for 

staff that have been reassigned to the NTC–P from field locations. 

CBP will use the additional $10 million in funding for the Automated Targeting 

System (ATS) to improve passenger and cargo targeting efforts, by augmenting existing entity resolution; developing visualization tools; applying predictive modeling 

and machine learning capabilities; and continuing work on its visa overstay and document validation initiatives. Notably, recognizing the public’s sensitivity to advanced screening procedures, all of the aforementioned enhancements will be made 

with consideration given to the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of passengers. 

By investing in the improved exploitation of available law enforcement and intelligence information, CBP will be able to refine its targeting efforts on the most highrisk travelers, conveyances, and cargo shipments, thus allowing greater facilitation 

of legitimate trade and travel. 

CBP will employ a three-phased approach to improve entity resolution: name 

matching, data augmentation, and the use of a variety of name matching routines, 

algorithms and models to continually assess the utility of existing and new routines 

to result in the most efficient and accurate encounter dispositions. 

Data visualization is an integral component of data analysis or the process of 

looking at and summarizing data with the intent to extract useful information and 

develop conclusion or inferences and recognize patterns or anomalies. Development 

of visualization capabilities will allow CBP to communicate relevant information to 

analysts clearly and effectively through graphical means. 

Data-driven modeling is an important complement to rules-based targeting since 

models can identify anomalies and patterns that would escape traditional methodologies, as well as highlight subtle features and combinations of features that are 

predictive of future behavior. CBP will develop and operationalize analytical and 

predictive models to detect patterns in data by taking advantage of all available 

data in a parallel manner. Additionally, CBP will employ machine learning models 

that incorporate new findings and evolve and learn in real time. 

CBP continues to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and 

US–VISIT to automate identification of visa overstays in the United States. An 

automated system will allow users to perform real time checks of classified databases, implement rules in a timely and cost-efficient manner, and classify and 

prioritize overstays by risk. 
58 

Document validation will provide CBP the capability to verify the accuracy of the 

travel document information provided by air carriers for each traveler arriving in 

and departing from the United States prior to boarding. 

These efforts will facilitate legitimate travel in ways that may not be readily apparent at the ports of entry. Improved entity resolution will reduce the number of 

secondary referrals since fewer false positives will be promoted to the hot lists because of better automated vetting. Link analysis and visualization tools will provide 

a graphical representation of relationships among travelers, their documents and 

other travel information. This type of information representation (as opposed to 

reading and integrating information from documents) will allow analysts to make 

faster and more informed decisions. 

Question. How does your fiscal year 2013 budget request enhance CBP’s targeting 

operations and capabilities? Do you think that these programs need additional resources, particularly for the critical operations and maintenance? 

Answer. CBP is requesting additional funding of $69.7 million to address resource 

requirements for Automated Targeting System (ATS) maintenance and enhancements, in addition to supporting and augmenting targeting staff within the Office 

of Intelligence and Investigative Liaison (OIIL). The OIIL targeting staff identifies, 

develops, implements, and refines various methods of targeting and responding to 

security-related operational and real-time events involving people, goods, and conveyances entering and exiting the United States. 

The additional funding of $31 million for ATS operations and maintenance and 

the enhancement of $38.7 million for targeting system and staff will sufficiently 

fund CBP’s targeting requirements in fiscal year 2013, and will provide CBP with 

the ability to update targeting rules in real time—allowing CBP to attain a true 24/ 

7 targeting capability to better support CBP front-line personnel. 

MODEL PORTS OF ENTRY

Question. Given its success at the 20 airports in which it operates, the Model 

Ports of Entry program seems to be something that should be expanded to all international airports. 

What impediments are there to expanding the Model Ports program? If it is an 

issue of funding, has consideration been given to increasing the ESTA fee or to 

modifying how the $14 fee is divided? 

Answer. Congress approved a one-time appropriation of $40 million in fiscal year 

2008 for CBP to establish the Model Ports program. The $40 million was used to 

deploy required equipment, monitors, signage, CBP officers and CBP officer overtime to the largest 20 international airports by volume of visitors. No additional 

funds for expansion are available at this time. 

The current ESTA fee is comprised of two separate and distinct amounts ($10 and 

$4), both of which are authorized under The Travel Promotion Act of 2009. The act 

established the Corporation for Travel Promotion (now Brand USA) to communicate 

U.S. entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business and scholarly travel to 

the United States. Brand USA is funded from the collection of a $10 fee assessed 

on travelers from visa waiver countries in the completion of a form under the DHS 

requirement for the Electronic System of Travel Authorization (ESTA). The $10 fee 

has a sunset date which prohibits its collection for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2015. Under current law, this fee cannot be used for the Model Ports 

program. Additionally, the $10 fee has a current sunset date which prohibits its collection for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2015. A fee to recover the costs 

of operating ESTA was authorized by the act and set by regulation in order to recover the ‘‘full costs of providing and administering’’ ESTA. These fees may only be 

used to pay the costs to administer ESTA. 

Question. I understand that every Model Port has a Passenger Service Manager 

who responds to traveler complaints or concerns, oversees issues related to travelers 

requiring special processing, observes the overall traveler processing procedure, and 

generally serves as a liaison between the traveler, the airport, and CBP. This seems 

like something which should be in place at every international airport. 

How much does it cost annually at the 20 airports and do the airports share in 

the cost? 

Answer. The main cost is for the Passenger Service Manager (PSM) who is a supervisory CBP officer who is allocated from the port’s managerial staff. Since the 

PSM program leverages existing personnel, the incremental costs are limited to 

training and reporting. The annual incremental cost incurred by CBP for the 40 

PSMs nationwide is $3,000,000. The airports do not share in the cost of the CBP 

PSM program. 
59 

Question. Are there plans to expand these positions to other airports? If not, why 

not? 

Answer. CBP has already expanded the PSM program to two land border ports 

of entry—Blaine, Washington, and Brownsville, Texas. We will assess opportunities 

to further expand the program on a case-by-case basis. 

Question. How much does installing and maintaining improved signage, including 

welcome/informational videos, cost per airport? 

Answer. The cost of improved signage varies. CBP, through its printing and 

graphics office, prints Model Ports signage, which includes way finder signs and 

queue identification signs (U.S. citizen, crew, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, 

etc). The cost is approximately $1,615 per airport. 

The cost of welcome/informational videos varies as well. The cost of video production can be between $30,000 and $75,000 depending on the type of service required 

(new video production, video editing and updating, etc). 

CBP CUSTOMER SERVICE

Question. The subcommittee understands the CBP officers’ primary duty is security and ensuring that the individual before them is eligible for entry into the country. However, that officer is also the first impression the traveler has of America 

and Americans. 

I understand that CBP has a process in place to collect feedback from travelers 

on their entry experience through the use of comment cards at each airport. 

How does CBP currently use the travelers’ comments to improve customer service? 

Answer. CBP conducted a Traveler Satisfaction Survey at the 20 Model Ports between October 12 and November 18, 2011. 

The Traveler Satisfaction Survey was conducted to obtain feedback from the traveling public on CBP’s Model Ports program and traveler experience. The survey was 

designed to evaluate CBP’s performance in achieving the goals of the Model Ports 

program: 

—Ensure that passengers entering the United States are welcomed by CBP officers who treat them with respect and understanding; 

—Provide the right information to help travelers, at the right time and in a hospitable manner; 

—Create a calm and pleasant CBP area; and 

—Streamline the CBP process. 

The survey findings indicate that: 

—Nearly 90 percent of travelers responded that the entry process made them feel 

welcomed; 

—More than 90 percent of travelers responded that CBP officers were welcoming, 

professional, helpful, efficient, and communicative; 

—More than 80 percent of travelers responded that the inspection area was welcoming; and 

—Nearly 90 percent of travelers surveyed felt that the entry process time was either short or reasonable with three-quarters of travelers getting through in 15 

minutes or less at the model airports. 

CBP is using this information to make further improvements to the passenger 

process and will conduct a follow-up traveler satisfaction survey as part of the continuing effort in evaluating valuable traveler feedback and further improving the 

traveler experience. 

Question. I understand the travel industry recommended that CBP officers begin 

by greeting all arriving visitors with a simple ‘‘Welcome to the United States.’’ Is 

that something you could adopt? Are CBP officers trained to begin the inspection 

process with any particular greeting? 

Answer. CBP conducts professionalism musters at the local ports on a recurring 

basis. Creating a welcoming environment and experience is a theme that is woven 

into all CBP professionalism musters. CBP officers are trained to greet the traveling 

public with the appropriate greeting for the time of day and conclude the traveler 

transaction with ‘‘Welcome to the United States’’ or ‘‘Welcome home’’ as appropriate. 

VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

Question. The President recently issued an Executive order which calls for the 

Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to ‘‘increase efforts to expand the Visa 

Waiver Program and travel by nationals of Visa Waiver Program participants.’’ Currently 36 countries participate in the program, all of whom are required to share 

counterterrorism and law enforcement information with the United States and dem-
60 

onstrate low visa refusal and overstay rates, in exchange for visa-free travel by their 

citizens to America. 

Can you discuss what efforts you expect to undertake to implement this mandate 

and how can Congress help with your efforts? 

Answer. DHS is pursuing four courses of action to support expanding the Visa 

Waiver Program (VWP) and travel by nationals of VWP countries: 

—Given the security and economic benefits of the VWP to the United States and 

the program’s important role in strengthening international partnerships, DHS 

has long supported a carefully managed expansion of the VWP to select countries that meet the statutory requirements and are willing and able to enter 

into a close security relationship with the United States. DHS, in concert with 

its interagency partners, stands ready to work with Congress to support legislative efforts that would allow DHS, in consultation with the Secretary of State, 

to designate additional countries that meet the statutory and policy requirements for participation in the VWP; 

—DHS is reviewing Taiwan for designation in the VWP and has begun its statutorily required assessment of Taiwan. On the basis of this assessment, the Secretary of Homeland Security will make a determination on Taiwan’s VWP candidacy; 

—Under current VWP requirements as set out in INA section 217, relatively few 

additional countries qualify at present designation under the program. DHS will 

work with foreign governments to fulfill the legal requirements for VWP designation in advance of full eligibility; and 

—DHS will support efforts led by the Departments of Commerce and Interior to 

craft a National Travel & Tourism Strategy to promote domestic and international travel opportunities throughout the United States. 

GLOBAL ENTRY

Question. I understand that CBP’s Global Entry program has over 1 million individuals enrolled in the program, and President Obama recently announced the program will expand to four additional airports this year. 

Can you tell us how this automated program will help reduce wait times for travelers? 

Answer. There are over a million trusted travelers with Global Entry benefits (including NEXUS and SENTRI members who are eligible for Global Entry benefits), 

with over 300,000 individuals directly enrolled in Global Entry. Program members 

do not have to wait in the general queues to be processed by a CBP primary officer, 

but instead proceed directly to self-service, automated kiosks. Use of kiosks reduces 

a trusted travelers wait time by over 70 percent (an estimated 7 minutes on average). In addition, having fewer people in the queues to be processed by CBP primary 

officers decreases wait times for the general traveling public. 

Question. What are the plans to expand Global Entry to other airports this fiscal 

year? 

Answer. Global Entry is currently available at 24 U.S. airports as well as six 

preclearance sites in Canada. CBP intends to expand the program to additional sites 

this year based on volume and frequent traveler data. 

Question. Are funds requested in the fiscal year 2013 budget to expand Global 

Entry to other airports? If so, how much? What is the estimated per airport cost 

to expand Global Entry? 

Answer. The fiscal year 2013 budget does not request additional funds to expand 

Global Entry to other airports; however, base appropriated dollars will be applied 

to planned future expansions. Global Entry kiosks cost approximately $24,000 each. 

On average, five kiosks are needed to expand the program to a new site. In addition, 

funding is needed for cabling, installation, and workstations and equipment for enrollment centers. Roughly, it would cost between $200,000–$250,000 to get a new 

airport established with Global Entry. This figure does not include the cost of training the officers. The ongoing operations and maintenance of Global Entry is funded 

through fees that were set to cover the costs of the program. 

Question. Currently, individuals wishing to enroll in Global Entry must travel to 

a participating airport. For instance, the nearest participating airport to residents 

of New Orleans is Houston—a 6-hour drive. What consideration is being given to 

expanding enrollment centers in locations other than participating airports? What 

are the costs and requirements—in terms of personnel, technology, etc—associated 

with establishing an enrollment location? 

Answer. CBP currently is analyzing the possibility of alternative enrollment centers. 
61 

As part of this analysis, CBP is evaluating the costs and requirements associated 

with this option and others. 

Question. As interest and demand for Global Entry increase, is consideration 

being given to establishing enrollment locations at non-Global Entry airports—perhaps as pilot programs in which enrollment opportunities would be made available 

at specific times (in order to limit the time a CBP officer would be taken away from 

their other duties at a given location)? Please explain the costs and benefits of such 

a pilot. 

Answer. CBP is considering establishing enrollment locations at non-Global Entry 

airports. This requires the acquisition of additional equipment which is necessary 

to conduct the enrollments. CBP estimates that equipment costs and set up of offsite 

enrollment locations would average between $250,000–$300,000 per location. Having enrollment centers in non-Global Entry airports would benefit the public, as 

they would have more enrollment location options. 

Question. How does CBP’s Global Entry program help TSA with its registered 

traveler program known as Pre✓TM? Can you leverage CBP’s existing technology infrastructure to make TSA’s program a success? 

Answer. U.S. citizens participating in CBP’s trusted traveler programs (Global 

Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI) are automatically qualified to participate in TSA 

Pre✓TM. 

Membership in one of CBP’s programs is the only way someone can participate 

in the TSA program currently without being invited by an airline or qualified 

through a TSA pilot. The Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) is the system 

utilized to apply for trusted traveler programs. CBP and TSA are reviewing technology infrastructure to identify options for direct participation in TSA Pre✓TM

through enrollment in GOES, while leveraging the established trusted traveler vetting process to ensure the integrity of the program. Collaboration between CBP and 

TSA serves as a force multiplier, utilizing established technology and procedures 

within the CBP process as the backbone to support and increase participation in the 

programs. 

QUESTION SUBMITTED BY SENATOR PATRICK J. LEAHY

CROSS-BORDER PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE

Question. Mr. Winkowski, Vermont used to have cross-border Amtrak service 

along the old Montrealer line between Washington, DC, and Montreal, Quebec. Rail 

access to Montreal went away in 1995, though, when St. Albans, Vermont, became 

the terminus for Amtrak’s new Vermonter train. 

The State of Vermont is very interested in reestablishing Amtrak service to Montreal—and our Governor, Peter Shumlin, has made it one of his administration’s top 

priorities. 

One of the major obstacles to cross-border travel today is CBP passenger screening. While I am pleased to see cross-border train travel included in the recently announced bilateral Beyond the Border initiative with Canada, over the past few years 

DHS has prepared a number of reports on this topic. Unfortunately, instead of contemplating how it could happen, these reports have only recycled the same tired and 

worn line that ‘‘it can’t be done.’’ 

With other trains already operating across the Northern border in New York 

State and Washington State, I know it can be done. Vermont and Quebec are working closely together to orchestrate the creation of a preclearance facility in Montreal 

that would benefit both the existing Adirondack service in New York and an expanded Vermonter service to Montreal. 

We need help and support from CBP to make it happen. 

Will you continue working with me, the State of Vermont, Amtrak, the State Department, the Quebec Government, and the Canadian National Government to construct a preclearance facility in Montreal for passenger trains? 

Answer. I am pleased to report that the Beyond the Border initiative is providing 

the pathway for CBP to overcome the primary obstacle inhibiting full preclearance 

processing of passengers trains in Canada, by providing a forum for discussion of 

an expanded preclearance agreement to allow for rail. DHS is actively discussing 

the requirements of such an agreement with its counterpart, Public Safety Canada. 

Per the Beyond the Border Action Plan, we anticipate having a negotiated agreement by the end of this calendar year. CBP has also already provided preliminary 

concurrence to Amtrak on a dual-use CBP/Canada Border Services Agency facility 

concept design at the Montreal Rail Station as a step forward to support potential 

future discussions on preclearance expansion for rail, and Amtrak has indicated a 
62 

business decision to eliminate the intermediate stops on any scheduled routes that 

would be precleared into the United States. 

While CBP is committed to continuing its review of the feasibility of expanding 

passenger rail preclearance in Canada, certain conditions will need to be in place 

before expansion can take place, including a signed bilateral agreement between the 

two nations, and the existence of sufficient infrastructure, funding, resources, and 

staffing. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR DANIEL COATS

CARGO SCREENING

Question. With respect to TSA compliance with the 9/11 Act requirement to screen 

all air cargo bound for the United States, we have monitored what CBP has done 

using its automated targeting system (ATS) to identify high-risk cargo being 

shipped on consignment aircraft and have been impressed with the results of that 

program. It was our understanding that TSA was working with CBP on using this 

technology to enhance passenger safety on international flights until such time as 

other contemplated screening technologies fully compliant with 9/11 Act requirements have been developed. Can you tell me the status of these efforts and if there 

are practical alternatives to using the ATS to target air cargo before departure? Finally, what resources are required to achieve the goal of screening air cargo on 

international passenger flights? 

Answer. TSA and CBP have been working together since 2009 to explore the use 

of CBP’s automated targeting system (ATS) to target high-risk cargo for screening. 

Currently, ATS is being leveraged through the joint TSA/CBP Air Cargo Advance 

Screening (ACAS) pilot to explore the feasibility of collecting pre-departure information on international inbound air cargo and assessing its risk. Participants engaged 

in the pilot include express, all-cargo, passenger, and heavy all-cargo aircraft operators. The ACAS pilot procedures will align with TSA’s risk-based strategy to achieve 

100 percent screening of international inbound air cargo transported on passenger 

aircraft. 

In February 2012, TSA released proposed amendments to TSA carrier standard 

security programs for industry comment. In addition to incorporating the ‘‘Trusted 

Shipper’’ concept and requiring 100 percent screening of international inbound air 

cargo transported on passenger aircraft by December 2012, the proposed amendments provide carriers incentives to submit data through ACAS as soon as possible.. 

The ACAS pilot provides TSA and CBP the ability to assess the resources that 

will be required for full program implementation. Costs will include both the modifications to the ATS, as well as personnel resources to man CBP’s National Targeting Center—Cargo. Implementation of 100 percent screening of international inbound cargo transported on passenger aircraft also requires additional resources for 

overseas inspection, as well as implementation of TSA’s National Cargo Security 

Program (NCSP) recognition process. The NCSP process establishes a mechanism 

for bilateral discussions with countries that employ similar or commensurate security measures within the air cargo and mail supply chains in order to recognize 

those requirements that meet or exceed TSA security requirements. 

GLOBAL ENTRY PROGRAM

Question. What is the long-range vision for Global Entry? Will CBP see the most 

significant impact when 15 percent of the international traveling public is enrolled, 

when 20 percent is enrolled, or some higher percent is enrolled? 

Answer. Over the long term, CBP will expand Global Entry to additional airports 

and to additional nationalities. As more people enroll in the program and usage increases, CBP will be able to redeploy a higher percentage of resources to process 

those travelers not enrolled in the program. CBP is seeing, on average, 3–5 percent 

of the eligible traffic (international crossings) using Global Entry kiosks at the locations where the program is operational. We are currently initiating modeling efforts 

to assess the impact on service levels. As each airport has different physical infrastructure and different air passenger traffic composition, the modeling will necessarily be port specific. 

Question. Would CBP like to see all primary processing eventually handled in an 

automated fashion with minimal officers involved—and instead have officers working on targeting and staffing secondary inspection? 

Answer. CBP is exploring ways to better automate the existing primary process 

and to fully maximize the law enforcement capabilities of the CBP officer cadre. Toward that end, CBP is looking at potential technologies and changes to its business 
63 

processes to allow primary officers to focus on conducting effective interviews and 

enforcement inspections. CBP will strive to accomplish the appropriate balance between automation, targeting, and officer interaction with each traveler. 

Question. Today, what is the average processing time for a traveler being inspected by an officer? What is the average processing time for a traveler using a 

Global Entry kiosk? 

Answer. The average processing time by an officer during primary inspection at 

airports is 1 minute for U.S. citizens, 2 minutes for lawful permanent residents, 3 

minutes for nonresident aliens and 1.2 to 1.9 minutes for Canadian nationals at 

preclearance locations. On average, Global Entry members (U.S. citizens) can process through the kiosks in 40 seconds. 

TARGETING IN THE PASSENGER ENVIRONMENT

Question. Congress provided additional funds to CBP in fiscal year 2012 for the 

automated targeting systems and overall for targeting activities. How are those 

funds being spent? What improvements are being made to the targeting systems? 

Answer. Congress provided additional funding in fiscal year 2012 of $5.0 million 

for the National Targeting Center–Passenger and $10 million for the automated targeting system (ATS). 

The additional $5.0 million in funding will support requisite staffing levels at the 

National Targeting Center–Passenger (NTC–P) by funding the salaries for staff that 

have been reassigned to the NTC–P from field locations. 

CBP will use the additional $10 million in funding for ATS to improve passenger 

and cargo targeting efforts, by augmenting existing entity resolution; developing visualization tools; applying predictive modeling and machine learning capabilities; 

and continuing work on its visa overstay and document validation initiatives. Notably, recognizing the public’s sensitivity response to advanced screening procedures, 

all of the aforementioned enhancements will be made with consideration to the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of passengers. Additionally, through investments 

to improve access to available law enforcement and intelligence information, CBP 

will be able to refine its targeting efforts on the most high-risk travelers, conveyances, and cargo shipments, thus allowing greater facilitation of legitimate trade 

and travel. 

CBP will employ a three-phased approach to improve entity resolution: name 

matching, data augmentation, and the use of a variety of name-matching routines, 

algorithms, and models to continually assess the utility of existing and new routines 

to result in the most efficient and accurate encounter dispositions. 

Data visualization is an integral component of data analysis or the process of 

looking at and summarizing data with the intent to extract useful information and 

develop a conclusion or inferences and recognize patterns or anomalies. Development of visualization capabilities will allow CBP to communicate relevant information to analysts clearly and effectively through graphical means. 

Data-driven modeling is an important complement to rules-based targeting since 

models can identify anomalies and patterns that would escape traditional methodologies, as well as highlight subtle features and combinations of features that are 

predictive of future behavior. CBP will develop and operationalize analytical and 

predictive models to detect patterns in data by taking advantage of all available 

data in a parallel manner. Additionally, CBP will employ machine learning models 

that incorporate new findings and evolve and learn in real time. 

CBP continues working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and 

US–VISIT to automate identification of visa overstays in the United States. An 

automated system will allow users to perform real time checks of classified databases, implement rules in a timely and cost-efficient manner, and classify and 

prioritize overstays by risk. 

Document validation will provide CBP the capability to verify the accuracy of the 

travel document information provided by air carriers for each traveler arriving in 

and departing from the United States prior to boarding. 

I–94 FORM AUTOMATION

Question. What is the current status of automating the I–94 nonimmigrant admissions form that non-visa waiver country travelers fill out on the airplane? 

Answer. Currently, we are considering and actively discussing the automation of 

the I–94 nonimmigrant admissions form that non-visa waiver country travelers complete on the airplane. 

Question. What kind of processing efficiencies do you foresee once the I–94 form 

is fully automated? 
64 

Answer. CBP expects it may see a 20- to 30-second reduction in processing time 

for each passenger requiring an I–94 if the I–94 form is fully automated. The reduced processing times may result in approximately $19.1 million a year in officer 

efficiency savings. Potentially, there could be a savings of up to $15 million a year 

in contract costs if the need for data entry and storage of the paper form I–94 are 

eliminated. 

Question. Are there any plans to automate the customs declaration form as well? 

Answer. CBP is currently exploring the possibility of automating the customs declaration form. 

ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION

Question. The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 created a $10 fee to be paid by nonU.S. travelers staying in the United States less than 90 days. The proceeds of this 

fee are assisting in paying for an advertising campaign to promote international 

travel to the United States. However, CBP levied an additional $4 fee on top of the 

$10 fee for processing. How does CBP justify such a huge processing charge equal 

to 40 percent of this fee in this instance? CBP already has in place a significant 

apparatus to collect from the airlines a myriad of other fees imposed on international passengers arriving in the United States. Why did the addition of this $10 

fee necessitate such high processing costs? 

Answer. While both fees are authorized under The Travel Promotion Act of 2009, 

the statute treats the $10 and $4 fees separately. The act established the Corporation for Travel Promotion (now Brand USA) to communicate U.S. entry policies and 

otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States. 

Brand USA is funded from the collection of a $10 fee assessed on travelers from 

visa waiver countries. The $10 fee has a sunset date which prohibits its collection 

for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2015. The act also required the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a fee in ‘‘an amount that will at least ensure recovery of the full costs of providing and administering’’ ESTA. CBP determined that fee to be $4 by completing a fee analysis study of the costs involved in 

administering the ESTA program. ESTA is a fee-funded program and CBP does not 

receive appropriated dollars for its operation. 

Question. What have been the results of the ad campaign paid for by this fee to 

promote international travel to the United States? 

Answer. Brand USA launched its advertising and marketing campaign at the 

International Pow-Wow Convention on April 23, in Los Angeles, California. As 

Brand USA is a public-private partnership, CBP has no jurisdiction over the advertising campaign. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO DOUGLAS A. SMITH

QUESTION SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

Question. Much of the focus of this hearing has been on how the Federal Government can make air travel more efficient and convenient without sacrificing security. 

However, cooperation with private sector stakeholders is critical for this to happen. 

What responsibilities do private sector stakeholders have to grow these programs 

and make them successful? 

Answer. Private sector stakeholders are crucial participants in the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) effort to better facilitate secure travel and tourism, and 

there are a number of formal and informal channels through which they can lend 

their expertise and engage on all travel and tourism issues. 

At the national level, industry representatives are welcome to apply for membership on the Secretary of Commerce’s U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board 

(TTAB) and the President appoints members from industry to the President’s Export Council (PEC). These boards represent their industry by advising at the Cabinet and Presidential levels, respectively, on emerging travel and tourism issues. 

Their participation assists the Federal Government in fostering a thriving travel 

and tourism industry. 

In addition, industry representatives can play a role by working with DHS at the 

regional and local levels. Local level partnerships are important because the challenges that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) face at each port are unique. Facility layout and size 

differ greatly from airport to airport; the airlines, cities, and travelers they serve 

vary; and airports are managed differently. Industry representatives should feel empowered to connect with CBP and TSA at their airport to better understand these 

issues and see how they can collaborate. For example, businesses are currently pro-
65 

viding expertise in design, queue management, customer service, and other areas 

at airports in Orlando, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The DHS Private Sector 

Office is able to help businesses establish a relationship with their local airport. 

Industry representatives can also play a role in many other important ways. 

The air travel experience is broader than just customs or screening. Ground transportation to the airport, airport parking, rental cars, airline reservations, hotel reservations, and many other facets impact the traveler’s experience. Businesses can 

recognize how their operations fit into the entire journey of each traveler and engage with the Government on these issues. For example, CBP and TSA do not own 

or even control the appearance of the port facilities, the inflow of arriving planes 

and passengers, or the delivery time of checked airline baggage. Dialogue and collaboration among all parties, especially airport authorities and airlines, is crucial 

to successful partnerships. We recognize that the entire travel experience has many 

layers and interconnecting parts. DHS is committed to using that understanding to 

facilitate secure travel and tourism. 

Additionally, industry has the customer base and outreach capabilities to effectively market initiatives and programs such as Global Entry and TSA Pre✓TM. Companies can help by enrolling their frequent flyer employees in these programs and 

informing their customers. CBP saw the largest increases in applications following 

promotions by credit cards, airlines, hotels, and other companies to frequently traveling customers. The DHS Private Sector Office, CBP, and TSA are ready to assist 

companies or organizations if they wish to promote these programs to their employees and customers. 

DHS is committed to continuing dialogue and collaboration with all stakeholders 

to improve the travel experience without sacrificing security. The Department is 

grateful for the willingness of industry to learn more about the challenges and opportunities we face as well as their efforts to help strengthen and improve our initiatives and programs. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR DANIEL COATS

COLLABORATION WITH AIRPORT AUTHORITIES

Question. Can you explain what funds were invested in the collaborative effort between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Greater Orlando Airport Authority by DHS and how much by the Orlando Airport? What specific improvements were made that allowed an additional flight to be accommodated by 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the airport? 

Answer. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not contribute any 

funds to the collaborative effort. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Port Director at Orlando International Airport (MCO) worked with the 

Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates MCO, to establish a collaborative effort of regular meetings and workgroups with local travel and tourism industry stakeholders. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority invested over 

$500,000 in port facilities in the beginning of 2011. In addition, the local public and 

private sector contributed $100,000 toward facility enhancements and $11,250 in inkind services to the port including suggested way-finding signage and decor. The 

CBP Assistant Port Director and the Passenger Service Manager joined the community workgroup to provide input on the developments. 

The working group was able to accommodate the additional flight from Brazil to 

Orlando through cooperation among the community, local congressional delegation, 

and DHS to quickly address staffing challenges and adjust CBP operations. Local 

industry stakeholders believe the flight will have a significant economic impact on 

the region. 

Question. Are there other collaborations currently under consideration with other 

airport authorities? 

Answer. Yes. In the coming months, the Private Sector Office (PSO), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) are planning to organize the next meetings in upcoming airports launching 

TSA PreCheck (Pre✓TM). 

DHS continues to work with airline associations and airports to deploy TSA 

Pre✓TM as they become ready to implement. By the end of calendar year 2012 we 

plan to add 30 airports, for a total of 35 TSA Pre✓TM airports throughout the country. Orlando International Airport, the first to be highlighted by PSO, and industry 

partners are also collaborating to share their success with the wider travel and tourism industry. At the U.S. Travel Association Board Meeting on March 23, 2012, the 

Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and Universal Studios gave a presentation to 
66 

approximately 100 industry leaders on their efforts to improve the atmosphere at 

the port and how other airports and businesses can start their own local initiative. 

CBP launched the Model Ports initiative in 2006 to present a warmer welcome 

to travelers and provide a more intuitive process by improving signage, communications, and using technology to facilitate entry. The PSO effort at the Model Ports, 

which now comprise 20 airports, connects and informs local air port of entry stakeholders—including DHS, the airport authority, other private-sector representatives, 

and community partners—of the role they can play in creating a more welcoming 

atmosphere. These efforts often leverage and highlight the strong collaboration already built by local entities. DHS looks forward to continuing to foster this kind of 

local-level collaboration with industry and other stakeholders of the ports of entry. 

NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM STRATEGY

Question. Since the President announced the creation of the Task Force on Travel 

and Competitiveness and the President’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, what 

is the status of developing the National Travel and Tourism Strategy? 

Answer. The Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior continue to lead DHS and other interagency partners on the Task Force on Travel and 

Competitiveness in writing the National Travel and Tourism Strategy. The Task 

Force published a Federal Register Notice for public comment and received substantial and thoughtful input from the travel and tourism industry and other stakeholders. As the lead agencies, the Departments of Commerce and Interior are best 

positioned to answer specific questions regarding the current status of the strategy. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO DAVID T. DONAHUE

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

VISA ISSUANCE

Question. In the President’s January announcement on tourism, he said one of his 

goals is to expedite the visa issuance process for visitors from Brazil and China. 

This is important, but we want to ensure our citizens are receiving similar courtesy 

if they travel overseas. 

How long does it currently take our Government to issue visas to travelers from 

these two countries, on average? Conversely, how long does it take Brazil and China 

to issue visas to U.S. travelers? 

Answer. On April 3, 2012, all posts in China had interview appointment wait 

times of less than 1 week. In Brazil, interview wait times varied from 7 days in Rio 

de Janeiro and Brasilia, to 15 days and 35 days in Recife and Sao Paulo, respectively. These wait times represent average wait times at these posts for the last 2 

months. Following the interview, on average, visa-processing posts in China and 

Brazil issue visas to qualified applicants in less than 3 days. Those renewing visas 

who meet the eligibility criteria for an interview waiver can expect to receive their 

visas in approximately 5 business days. Approximately 2 to 4 percent of B1/B2 applicants in Brazil, and 6 percent of applicants in China who overcome INA section 

214(b) must still undergo security-related administrative processing, which may extend the period from adjudication to issuance (if ultimately found to be fully qualified) to 2 weeks or more. 

China.—Chinese consular officials state that they issue visas to U.S. citizen travelers in 1 or 2 business days, though State frequently receives anecdotal reports 

from non-official U.S. citizen travelers of longer wait times. U.S. citizens who submit 

applications via mail usually receive their passports with visas in 2 weeks; however, 

some U.S. citizen applicants have complained of months-long delays. 

Brazil.—The Department has received complaints from the U.S. citizen business 

community regarding Brazil’s visa requirements for business travelers. Brazil applies a distinction between a short-term business visit and a short-term working 

visit. Under this distinction, a U.S. company sending staff to Brazil to install equipment or software, resolve specific problems, train local staff or work on a short-term 

specific project is required to obtain a temporary work visa rather than a temporary 

business visa. A temporary work visa requires approval from the Labor Ministry, 

a process which the U.S. citizen business community notes can take up to 6 months. 

The United States issues qualified short-term overseas business travelers a B1 visa, 

which does not require a labor certification. 

Question. These are high-growth economies where America is competing with 

other developed countries to attract tourism dollars. U.S. consular services in these 
67 

key markets have lagged behind those of England, Germany, France, and Japan in 

accommodating that demand. 

What steps has the State Department taken to reduce interview wait times, processing times, and travel distances to consulates in these countries? 

Answer. Demand for U.S. visas in countries such as Brazil and China are at alltime highs and the State Department is taking a number of new and innovative 

steps to meet this demand. In the first 6 months of fiscal year 2012 alone, consular 

officers in China processed 44 percent more nonimmigrant visa applications, and 

consular officers in Brazil handled 58 percent more as compared to the same time 

period in fiscal year 2011. We issue nonimmigrant visas to almost 90 percent of Chinese applicants, and to over 96 percent of Brazilian applicants. 

In order to build our capacity to meet the increasing demand, we are working to 

expand the physical infrastructure of our consular sections in Brazil and China as 

well as building a deeper staffing pool to adjudicate these visas. Our extensive planning on both fronts will give us the capacity to exceed projected growth. The additional space and staff will allow us to process more visas with reduced wait times. 

Each of our posts throughout Mission China has significant renovation or expansion projects underway. Shanghai and Chengdu are expanding in their current facilities and will add additional adjudicating windows by spring 2013. Beijing is renovating the previous consular facility to reopen for public use by this summer. 

Guangzhou will move to a new consulate compound in April 2013, doubling its capacity, and we are considering a possible relocation of the consular section in 

Shenyang that would allow for expansion at this rapidly growing post. In Brazil, we 

will begin renovation projects at all four consulates in spring 2012. These projects 

increase the capacity of entryways and security screening, enlarge waiting rooms, 

add interview windows where possible, and improve foot traffic to shorten the 

amount of time applicants spend in the section. Additional windows for all four 

projects will be operational by December 2012. 

The Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) is planning for staffing increases to fill these 

new facilities and is adding more than 100 visa adjudicators this year and next in 

China and Brazil. A number of these new adjudicators are being hired through a 

pilot program that targets applicants who already speak Mandarin or Portuguese 

and will be arriving at posts through spring and summer of 2012. We are building 

a register of language-qualified potential employees that can be hired and deployed 

in response to changes in demand and as facility projects are completed and adjudicating windows are built. Some posts in China and Brazil have expanded their 

hours of operation to maximize use of staff and facilities. 

For Brazil, Congress has received our official notification that we can begin the 

process to open two new consulates in Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre, expanding 

our visa interview capacity to those metropolitan cities. These new facilities will 

help to reduce travel times for many applicants residing in those regions. 

The visa interview pilot program is an additional step taken, worldwide, to further reduce applicant travel to U.S. embassies and consulates. Under the pilot program, consular officers may waive interviews for certain categories of qualified nonimmigrant visa applicants worldwide who are renewing their visas within 48 

months of the expiration of their previously held visa, and within the same classification as the previous visa (i.e., a B1/B2 applicant applying for another B1/B2 

visa). This new policy will make it much easier for many tourists to renew their 

visas, helping to free up as many as 100,000 interview appointments in China alone 

for first-time travelers. This program is also in place at many of our overseas posts, 

including Mexico, India, and Russia. 

Under the pilot program, consular officers also may waive the interview and fingerprint collection requirement for certain qualified nonimmigrant visa applicants 

holding Brazilian passports worldwide who are younger than 16 years old or 66 

years of age and older, so long as the required, thorough screening against biographic-based, immigration, law enforcement, and intelligence databases raises no 

concerns. 

The Department of State is dedicated to the protection of our borders, and has 

no higher priority than the safety of our fellow citizens. At the same time, we are 

committed to facilitating legitimate travel, and providing prompt and courteous 

service. State will continue to monitor visa adjudications and visa interview wait 

times to measure success in our programs and adjust our planning for the future. 

Question. One possibility to expedite the issuance of visas and ameliorate lengthy 

travel distances to consulates for prospective visitors would be for the State Department to conduct interviews in remote parts of countries which do not have easy access to consular posts. Videoconferencing technology is another potential solution to 

address these challenges. However, I understand the State Department does not 

currently plan to move ahead with remote visa interviews. 
68 

Why? Is it cost-prohibitive? Are there security concerns? 

Answer. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) generally requires our consular officers to interview in-person all first-time visa applicants aged 14 through 

79, but gives consular officers authority to waive interviews for diplomatic and official applicants from foreign governments and, in limited circumstances, some applicants renewing their visas. The INA also allows the Secretary of State to waive 

interviews in certain situations. 

Among the provisions in State’s fiscal year 2012 budget was a request that the 

Department explore alternative measures to meet the personal interview requirement, such as video visa interviewing. We have piloted this technology and have 

found it does not meet our strict security requirements. It is costly and less efficient 

than in-person interviews. Our conclusions are based on the following observations 

and results of our pilot: 

—Use of this technology requires off-site facilities manned by American personnel 

with security clearances, and therefore subject to costly physical security and 

data-protection requirements. 

—Permission to open such facilities and the legal status of employees could be an 

issue in some countries, particularly China. We found that moving applicants 

to and from the camera location and limiting the length of the interview is more 

challenging at an off-site video facility, thereby reducing the overall number of 

interviews conducted. 

—Video interviewing presents unacceptable vulnerabilities. Consular officers are 

trained to use all of their senses to spot potential fraud or threats that might 

not be as readily observable over a two-dimensional video link. 

We are continually looking for more efficient ways to improve the applicant’s experience, without compromising security, particularly since a trip to the Embassy 

is often a foreign visitor’s first impression of the United States. One way to accomplish this, among other things, is to decrease the number of people in the waiting 

room. Enhanced security screening in effect since September 11 makes it possible 

to eliminate interviews for certain very limited categories of applicants, without 

compromising border security requirements. This factor is why the Departments of 

State and Homeland Security have pursued secure, streamlining measures such as 

an Interview Waiver Pilot program to reduce the opportunity cost for those legitimate travelers who have been interviewed and vetted through a comprehensive, 

multi-layer process. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

Question. Under section 2(b) of the President’s January 19, Executive order on 

travel and tourism, he directed development of an implementation plan by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security within 60 days. 

As it has been approximately 60 days since he issued that order, has the implementation plan been prepared? 

Please describe the major highlights of the implementation plan and whether 

there are any items which require action by this subcommittee as we write the fiscal 

year 2013 homeland security bill. 

Answer. Yes, the implementation plan was submitted to the President on March 

19, 2012. State and DHS are committed to the facilitation of legitimate travel and 

tourism. This priority is a vital national interest that keeps our borders secure, 

while generating jobs and revenue critical to our economic growth and vitality. 

Section 2(b) of the Executive order lays out the following four goals: 

—(i) Increase nonimmigrant visa processing capacity in China and Brazil by 40 

percent over the coming year; 

—(ii) Ensure that 80 percent of nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed 

within 3 weeks of receipt of application; 

—(iii) Increase efforts to expand the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and travel by 

nationals of VWP participants; and 

—(iv) Expand reciprocal recognition programs for expedited travel, such as the 

Global Entry program. 

These four are whole-of-government goals, but for planning and implementation 

purposes, State will lead on goals (i) and (ii) and DHS will lead on goals (iii) and 

(iv). 

State will increase staffing at our highest volume posts by: 

—Increasing overall visa adjudicating positions in Brazil and China by 98 in 2012; 

and 

—Hiring additional consular adjudicators with Portuguese and Chinese language 

ability via limited non-career appointments (LNAs). 

State will increase the efficiency of its consular sections in China and Brazil by: 
69 

—Expanding interviewing hours in China and Brazil; and 

—Implementing the Global Support Strategy (GSS) in Brazil and China as soon 

as feasible. GSS replaces the current patchwork of contractor-provided visa support services at overseas posts (e.g., call centers, appointment scheduling, and 

document delivery) with a single contract and comprehensive process for 

logistical arrangements preceding the actual adjudication process. 

State will expand existing facilities and explore possibilities for additional visaprocessing facilities in China and Brazil. We will: 

—Remodel and renovate existing facilities, including adding 48 interview windows 

in China and 19 in Brazil; 

—Expand existing facilities in China; 

—Expand service hours and introduce multiple shifts where appropriate; and 

—Assess the feasibility of establishing new visa-adjudicating locations. 

State will implement the program to waive interviews for low-risk applicants, as 

described in the Executive order: 

—Expand the eligibility for renewal of nonimmigrant visas for certain categories 

of applicants without interview from 1 to 4 years since expiration of the previous visa; and 

—Streamline processing for certain Brazilian applicants younger than 16 years 

old and 66 years of age and older. 

State will further improve its capacity to process visa applications in 2012 and 

beyond. As noted above, State is increasing staff, taking measures to increase efficiency, expanding facilities, implementing a pilot program to streamline processing 

for low-risk visa applicants (including the waiver of interviews for certain low-risk 

applicants), and monitoring progress to achieve these goals. These initiatives include an increase in visa adjudication staff by 50 percent in China and 130 percent 

in Brazil, resulting in capacity to adjudicate an additional 1.5 million adjudications 

per year by the end of 2012. The additional staff will permit us to introduce longer 

interview hours and they will work in expanded facilities. State is confident that 

the capacity- and efficiency-building measures described in this document, combined 

with further refinement of data collection, will allow it to meet the benchmark to 

increase visa interview capacity in Brazil and China 40 percent while also meeting 

its target of interviewing 80 percent of visa applicants worldwide within 3 weeks 

from when an application is submitted. 

TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES: FROM A VISA WAIVER PROGRAM COUNTRY VS. A NONVISA WAIVER PROGRAM COUNTRY

Question. One of the concerns I hear from constituents is how long it takes them 

to get a visa to travel to another country. At the same time, we are trying to expedite the issuance of visas for travel to this country. 

If someone wanted to travel to the United States from a Visa Waiver Program 

country—like England or France—they do not have to get a visa. 

Please describe what steps they must take to come here. What forms do they need 

to fill out and how much do they cost? 

What about travelers to the United States from a non-Visa Waiver Program country—like Brazil or China? 

What steps do they have to take and how long does it take? 

Answer. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows foreign nationals from certain 

countries to travel to the United States for business or pleasure, for stays of 90 days 

or less without obtaining a visa. Travelers admitted under the VWP must agree to 

waive their rights to review or appeal, as explained in the Waiver of Rights section 

of the Application screen. All passengers traveling under the VWP are required to 

have an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to traveling to the United States by air or sea. The program is administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

Mandated by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 

2007 (9/11 Act), ESTA adds another layer of security that allows the Department 

of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine whether an individual is eligible to travel 

to the United States under the VWP and whether such travel poses a law enforcement or security risk. 

Travelers should submit their ESTA applications at least 72 hours prior to travel. 

However, not all travel is planned in advance and applications for last minute or 

emergency travel are accommodated. 

To apply for ESTA, travelers need to complete an application at the ESTA Web 

site (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov). Travelers must provide biographic information, passport data, credit card information for the required fees, and answer VWP eligibility 

questions. The traveler receives an application number that can be used to track 
70 

their ESTA application. CBP queries the traveler’s information against the appropriate data bases to determine if the traveler is eligible for the VWP or if they provide a security or law enforcement threat to the United States. 

Once the traveler’s data has been screened he or she will receive one of three responses: 

—Authorization Approved.—Travel is authorized and the authorization is valid for 

2 years and any number of trips in the period, unless there is a change in status—for example, name change, marriage, VWP eligibility, or passport expiration; 

—Authorization Pending.—An immediate determination could not be made and 

that the traveler should check back in 72 hours; or 

—Travel Not Authorized.—The traveler is not eligible to travel the United States 

under the VWP and is advised to visit the U.S. Department of State Web site 

for additional information about applying for a visa. 

All applicants requesting an electronic travel authorization are charged a $4 processing fee. If an application is approved and the traveler receives authorization to 

travel to the United States under the VWP, an additional $10 fee will be charged 

in accordance with the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. 

For a national of a non-visa waiver country to apply for a visa, a potential traveler would follow these steps: 

—Complete a visa application (form DS–160) online; 

—Schedule an interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or consulate. Scheduling 

procedures vary in each country. Wait times to obtain an appointment at each 

Embassy or consulate are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site 

at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/waitl4638.html, and are updated weekly; 

—Pay the visa processing fee of $140 (increasing to $160 on April 13, 2012). Payment procedures vary in each country. In some countries, applicants can also 

submit digital fingerprints at an applicant service center any time prior to their 

interview date. If not, those digital fingerprints are taken at the appointment; 

and 

—On the day of his/her interview appointment, visit the Embassy or consulate, 

to have his/her fingerprints taken (if not taken before), and appear before a 

United States consular officer, who has reviewed the application and security 

check results, for an interview. (In some instances, the officer may waive the 

interview for a qualified applicant renewing a visa.) The applicant must provide 

a valid passport, photo, and receipt for payment. Other forms or documents may 

be necessary depending on the type of visa and purpose of travel. Once cleared, 

the visa is printed, affixed in the passport, and returned to the applicant, usually through a courier service or express mail. 

More than 70 percent of applicants worldwide obtain appointments in less than 

3 weeks, and as we outlined in our written testimony, the Department has dedicated considerable resources to improve that figure. Approved visas are generally returned to applicants within 1 to 3 days. A very small number of cases may require 

additional processing, usually for security, legal, or administrative reasons. 

Applicants for some visa categories, such as student or temporary employment, 

must meet additional requirements before making a visa application. For example, 

temporary workers generally require approved petitions filed through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Students must be accepted by an approved educational institution, receive a confirmation form from the school (form I–20) and pay 

a fee to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program prior to their visa interview. 

Question. At the hearing, one of the witnesses on the second panel raised concerns 

about the inability of the State Department to issue visas to foreign visitors to trade 

shows held in the United States and the loss of revenues related to those shows. 

Please respond to these concerns. 

Are there steps international visitors can take to improve their visa applications, 

including submitting them within a certain timeframe? 

Answer. The Department of State understands the important economic benefits 

of foreign visitors at U.S. trade shows, particularly those from fast-growing economies who require visas to enter the United States. Large numbers of foreign 

attendees come to the United States without visas, either from Canada or the 36 

countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program. In other countries, our embassies and consulates issue visas to many thousands of qualified trade show visitors 

and exhibitors each year. 

While Department of State visa statistics do not capture issuance and refusal 

rates specifically for trade shows, according to attendance figures obtained from 
71 

1 Because attendance figures are proprietary, we are not able to name the three shows. They 

are among last year’s top five U.S. trade exhibitions in attendance. 

three of the largest U.S. trade shows,1 foreign participants last year ranged from 

11 to 21 percent of total visitors to their shows. An average of 54 percent of the 

foreign visitors at these three shows entered the country using visas. Trade show 

participants from Canada and visa waiver countries averaged 46 percent of foreign 

attendees. By contrast, the proportion of overall U.S. international travelers who 

enter the United States using a visa each year is 35 to 40 percent. The remaining 

60 to 65 percent of international travelers do not require visas (principally Canadians and Visa Waiver Program participants). 

The higher proportion of trade show participants who entered with visas (54 percent compared with 35 to 40 percent among overall travelers) indicates that the U.S. 

visa process is not a barrier to foreign attendance at these events. On the contrary, 

Visa Office representatives in Washington routinely consult with event organizers 

to clearly and accurately inform them about general visa requirements and processing. The Visa Office’s Business Visa Center (BVC) provides information to conference organizers and business travelers. The center also posts information about 

upcoming conferences on the Department’s intranet site to inform consular officers 

about events and trade shows that expect more than 100 foreign participants. In 

2011, the BVC handled over 3,400 inquiries, and in the first 3 months of 2012, has 

posted information about 66 conferences and trade shows that are expecting more 

than 153,000 foreign participants. 

The Department of State is committed to facilitating legitimate business travel 

and supporting U.S. economic growth. All U.S. embassies and consulates have established procedures to expedite appointments for business travelers. U.S. officials 

work closely with American Chambers of Commerce in more than 100 countries to 

streamline the visa process for business travelers. Embassy Foreign Commercial 

Service and economic officers also work closely with visa sections, informing them 

about upcoming shows and country delegations. At the same time, each applicant 

must individually qualify for the visa they are seeking under U.S. immigration law. 

Unfortunately, a small minority of potential trade show attendees fail to satisfy this 

legal requirement. However, we note that a study by Oxford Economics commissioned by the Exhibition Industry Foundation said that only ‘‘3.1 percent of the total 

attendance of [surveyed] shows could not participate in the event because of visa 

issues. In addition, 1.3 percent of all exhibitors were not able to attend the 15 

events that responded due to visa problems in attendance at those shows.’’ 

Visa applicants should apply as early as possible before travel, to allow for any 

processing that might be necessary. They should be prepared to discuss, if asked, 

the family, social and economic ties to their home country that show they are not 

at risk of remaining unlawfully in our country. Most visas are issued for multiple 

trips and are valid for as long as 10 years in many countries, depending on how 

that country treats U.S. citizen travelers, so applicants who anticipate future travel 

do not need to wait until just before their trip. Applicants can find extensive information about the visa process on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site at http:// 

travel.state.gov. 

Question. Your testimony delineates the number of specific steps State has already taken to reduce the time it takes to issue new visas to visitors from Brazil 

and China. However, there still appears to be the impression that large numbers 

of potential travelers are unable to visit the United States because of an inability 

to obtain a visa. 

In your estimation, what percent of the potential traveling universe from these 

countries are first time visa requesters? Please describe this issue in more detail. 

Does more need to be done to encourage multiple trips to the United States because many travelers already have multiple-entry visas? 

For what reasons can an individual be denied a visa? Are all of these reasons 

specified in U.S. law? 

Do many visa requesters apply for a visa with little notice or just days prior to 

their planned trip? What more can our Government do to encourage these individuals to apply for a visa on a timelier basis? 

Answer. The vast majority of visa applicants in Brazil and China are legally eligible for visas and are being issued visas. In fiscal year 2011, we issued visas to more 

than 96 percent of Brazilian applicants and almost 90 percent of Chinese applicants. 

The Department of State does not maintain statistics on the number of visa applications coming from first-time applicants. Available data does suggest that many 

visa holders make multiple trips to the United States. Comparing Department of 

Homeland Security admissions statistics for fiscal year 2010 (the most recent available) and the total number of visas issued in that year, we can see the number of 
72 

travelers to the United States far exceeds the number of visas issued during the 

year. 

Fiscal year 2010 

Nonimmigrant 

admissions (all 

categories) 

Nonimmigrant 

visas issued (all 

categories) 

Brazil ....................................................................................................................................... 1,233,457 546,866 

China ....................................................................................................................................... 1,038,279 653,198 

We do think that BrandUSA should target current visa holders as a group likely 

to return to the United States again and again. 

Most visas are issued for multiple entries and for validity periods reciprocal to 

what the foreign government grants American travelers. In the last 7 years, for example, the United States issued Brazilians more than 2.6 million tourist visas (B1 

and B2 categories), almost all of which can still be used for travel. Worldwide, from 

fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2010 alone, we issued more than 21 million visitor 

visas worldwide (categories B1, B2, and border crossing cards), the vast majority of 

which are still valid. This represents an enormous potential market for tourism promotion. 

A visa can be denied only on grounds delineated in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The majority of nonimmigrant visa denials result from the applicant’s failure to meet the requirements of INA section 214(b) which, in part, states: 

‘‘Every alien... shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the 

satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa. . . that he 

is entitled to a nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15).’’ 

In the case of B1 and B2 visa applicants, INA section 214(b) relates to the applicants’ failure to convince the interviewing officer that they have strong ties to a residence abroad that will compel them to leave the United States after a temporary 

visit. 

INA section 212(a) lists other grounds of inadmissibility to the United States, including criminal convictions, affiliation with terrorist organizations, drug trafficking, 

fraud, among others. INA section 291 places the burden of proof on the applicant 

to establish he or she is eligible to receive a visa. 

In all of our public outreach on visas, the Department of State urges potential 

travelers to apply early. We make available on our public Web site (http://travel.state.gov) the lead times necessary to obtain interview appointments at each of 

our visa-issuing posts. This information is updated weekly so that travelers can realistically plan ahead. 

In fact, more than 70 percent of applicants worldwide obtain appointments in less 

than 3 weeks, and as we outlined in our written testimony, the Department has 

dedicated considerable resources to improve this figure. We are committed to achieving the goal the President laid out in Executive Order 13597 that ‘‘80 percent of 

nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of application.’’ Once approved, visas are generally available to applicants within several 

days. (A small number of cases may require additional processing, usually for security, legal or administrative reasons.) All of our visa-issuing posts have procedures 

to expedite cases with medical, humanitarian, national interest, or urgent business 

travel, as well as other cases having a legitimate need for rapid handling. 
(73) 

NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES 

Senator LANDRIEU. First, we have Roger Dow, president and 

CEO of the U.S. Travel Association; second, Charles Barclay, president of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE); 

third, Thomas Hendricks, senior vice president of Safety, Security 

and Operations for Airlines for America (A4A); Mr. Steven Hacker, 

president and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions 

and Events; and Sara Nelson, international vice president, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). 

Take your seats in any order, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Dow, if 

you do not mind, we will start with you. And if you all could limit 

your opening statements to 3 minutes each, that will leave us approximately 15 or so minutes for questions to the panel. And so Mr. 

Dow, let us start with you. And if there is anything that you heard 

in the first panel that you would like to raise, add to your statement, please feel free. But let us leave it to 3 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF ROGER DOW, PRESIDENT AND CEO, U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION 

Mr. DOW. Very fine. Thank you, Madam Chairman, for holding 

this hearing. It is so important, and I will skip going through how 

big the industry is because you did a great job off the bat. Lots of 

jobs, huge industry. 

The critical role that DHS and the State Department have in 

working and facilitating commerce and travel and protecting our 

country we will all concur on. We really thank you for all the bipartisan leadership on this issue because it is a white hat issue. I 

mean, we all believe in increasing travel, jobs, et cetera. 

But we sincerely believe that we can have a robust economy and 

a robust tourism industry and very secure by making a few 

changes and modifications in some of the things that we are doing 

right now. 

I am going to divide my testimony into two parts. One, I am 

going to talk domestically and I want to address TSA, which was 

talked about. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts that in 20 

years, air traffic will double. So it is going to be 1.2 billion travelers. So the concern is what does that mean for longer lines if we 

just keep doing things the way we are. Sooner or later, this thing 

falls in on itself. In 2010, we did a survey and we asked people if 

you knew you had dependability and if you knew it was a short, 

defined amount of time, would you travel more. And people said 

they would take two or three more trips. That is $85 billion, and 

when you look at that, that is hundreds of thousands of jobs that 

that creates. We think there is a way to really increase this significantly. If you look at that $85 billion that we could have had, we 

want to make sure we do not have that same loss going forward. 
74 

So we have submitted, in conjunction with AAAE and CLEAR, 

a way that we could find a way to rapidly increase the number of 

people that go on the Pre✓TM program because we think that is extremely valuable and have a way that people could be enrolled like 

in New Orleans. To go in Global Entry, you have to go to Houston 

and it is a long way. So we are recommending ways to increase 

that, and that is very critical. 

When you look at inbound travel, expanding that—and first of 

all, I do applaud Administrator Pistole for what they have done on 

really stepping forward with Pre✓TM. It is a great beginning, but 

we can take it much further because we have to get a lot more 

than those 6,000 people a day going through the system or it is like 

an HOV lane that does not work. 

So when we take a look at what is going on with inbound travel, 

if you look at long-haul travel to the United States, we now get 12 

percent of inbound travel around the world. We used to get 17 percent. We have lost a huge amount of money. That is $153 billion. 

But if we can get back to where we were years ago, that would be 

$400 billion to the U.S. economy, 1.3 million jobs over decades. It 

is big. And we can do that through several ways. 

One, expanding the visa issuance process. We think a great job 

is being done there. The numbers that Mr. Donahue talked about 

have been nothing less than outstanding over the past year. But 

we can expand that greatly. 

Also, we need to find a way to get more people into this program, 

and when you look at the visa waiver program, that is one that we 

believe can be increased. There are 100 and some countries around 

the world. We have 36 countries in there. And there are relatively 

few countries with security that could really be looked at. If we 

could get them into the visa waiver program, that would be terrific. 

And last, the immigration process of how people come in. It is 

just as important to have a welcoming and efficient process, and 

if we are going to increase the visa process by 40 percent—I did 

some quick calculation—that is going to add $70 million to what 

we do. And somehow we ought to figure out how to use that money 

at both ends of the spectrum. 

And last, you asked a question about video conferencing, and I 

applaud your putting it in there. That has not happened as far as 

the pilot, and we believe that just as Ranking Member Coats 

asked, is there technology—and we really believe you have to test 

it. We have to put technology to work or these things will fall in 

on themselves. We have to try this. And we are going to watch. We 

talked about the Indiana game. We are going to watch basketball. 

We are going to watch people on high definition, 100-inch TVs. I 

am going to be able to tell whether someone is going to make that 

foul shot or not just looking at their eye. You can see that. Plus, 

it gives you a chance to record it, have other people look at. So we 

believe we should pilot this program that you have proposed, and 

we would hope to work with you and with the State Department 

to make that happen. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

Thank you very much for your help and all you do for this industry. 
75 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF ROGER DOW

Chairman Landrieu, Ranking Member Coats and members of the subcommittee: 

I am pleased to offer testimony on behalf of the U.S. Travel Association (U.S. Travel), the national, nonprofit organization representing all sectors of America’s travel 

industry. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. 

Last year the $813 billion travel industry generated a total of $1.9 trillion in total 

economic output. 

I applaud you for holding today’s hearing to discuss the critical role the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plays in facilitating travel and commerce, and 

protecting our country. I would also like to thank you for the strong bipartisan leadership you have demonstrated on travel issues during your time here in Washington. 

Travel provides good, domestic jobs that cannot be outsourced. In 2011, travel 

supported 14.4 million jobs and is among the top 10 employers in 48 U.S. States 

and the District of Columbia. For example, travel directly employs more than 

100,000 Louisianans, contributes $8.9 billion annually to the Louisiana economy 

and generates more than $1.1 billion in State and local tax revenue. Similarly, travel directly employs more than 96,000 Indianans, contributes more than $8.6 billion 

to the Indiana economy and generates nearly $1.3 billion in tax receipts. In every 

region of America, travel helps pay the salaries of police, firefighters, and teachers 

without creating much new demand for those public services. 

I am here today to tell you that increasing travel in the United States is the most 

effective form of economic stimulus—and it doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime. When 

American and international visitors travel within the United States, they inject new 

money into the U.S. economy by staying in U.S. hotels, spending in U.S. stores, visiting U.S. attractions, and eating at U.S. restaurants. And spending by international 

travelers is chalked up as U.S. exports that contribute positively to America’s trade 

balance. In fact, international travel is the export sector that should be easiest to 

boost. 

Larry Summers, the former director of the National Economic Council, recently 

observed that ‘‘the easiest way to increase exports and close the trade gap is by increasing international travel to the United States.’’ 

But the 10 years from 2001 through 2010 were a lost decade for America’s travel 

industry and the U.S. economy. While global international travel grew over the last 

decade, America failed to keep pace. The opportunity costs of this slippage are staggering. If America had kept pace with the growth in global long-haul international 

travel between 2000 and 2010, 78 million more travelers would have visited the 

United States, adding a total of $606 billion to the U.S. economy that could support 

more than 467,000 additional U.S. jobs annually over these years. 

Unlike other goods and services, the barriers to travel are primarily self-imposed. 

There are no trade agreements to be negotiated or tariffs to reduce with other countries. The principle barriers to increased travel to and within the United States are 

the inefficiencies, uncertainties, and delays that characterize our visa, entry, and 

passenger screening process. These self-imposed restrictions discourage Americans 

and overseas visitors from traveling within the United States. 

It is unconscionable that in a time of weak economic growth, followed by deep recession, inefficient security, and travel facilitation programs caused America to 

leave so much economic prosperity on the table. We cannot afford to make the same 

mistakes in this current decade. As described below, these lost opportunities are not 

a tradeoff with security—we can have robust, growing, and secure travel. 

IMPLEMENT RISK-BASED AND EFFICIENT PASSENGER SCREENING

Over the next 20 years, air passenger travel will almost double to 1.2 billion passengers per year, according to projections released last week by the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA). This forecast may seem like an indicator of robust growth 

and increased job creation in the years ahead. But given our Nation’s inefficient and 

costly security screening process, and the growing level of passenger frustrations— 

the FAA is really forecasting longer lines and wait-times at security checkpoints and 

potentially greater economic losses for the travel industry. 

To understand the potential magnitude of problems in the future, it is helpful to 

examine the costs imposed by the current system. A 2010 survey conducted by Consensus Research found that travelers would take two to three more flights per year 

if the hassles in security screening were reduced. These additional flights would add 

nearly $85 billion in consumer spending back into local hotels, restaurants, convention centers, and other travel business, and help support 900,000 jobs. 
76 

1 U.S. Travel Association, ‘‘A Better Ways: Building a World-Class System for Aviation Security.’’ http://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/page/2011/03/AlBetterlWayl032011.pdf 2TSA considers enrollment criteria for Pre✓TM to be security sensitive information. The U.S. 

Travel Association calculated an estimate of the cost to join Pre✓TM by multiplying the average 

2010 passenger yield (the average fare paid by domestic passengers per mile flown) of ¢13.49 

by 75,000 (the number of miles needed to become a platinum customer on Delta airlines). 

An inefficient screening process also imposes a staggering cost on the American 

tax payer. From 2004 to 2011, the TSA’s budget rose by 68 percent, while the number of passengers screened remained almost flat.1 If these trends continue, TSA’s 

budget would spiral out of control as passenger levels increase. 

The only way to avoid this scenario is for TSA to become a more risk-based, intelligence-driven, and cost-effective organization. 

In 2011, TSA recently launched PreCheck (Pre✓TM), a trusted traveler pilot program that provides expedited screening for passengers willing to volunteer more 

personal information. Pre✓TM is an essential first step in creating a more efficient 

and secure screening process, and I applaud Administrator Pistole for his leadership 

in creating this program. 

Today, roughly 400,000 Americans are enrolled in Pre✓TM, which is small number 

compared to the 2 million people who fly each day. The future success of the program will depend on the operational efficiencies and cost-savings realized when 

more low-risk travelers use the program on a frequent basis. 

Unfortunately, there are several barriers preventing ordinary Americans from 

joining and using Pre✓TM. One way to join the program is to be a member of U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) Global Entry program. To be a part of 

Global Entry, CBP requires an in-person interview but only offers these interviews 

at 25 permanent locations. If a person living in New Orleans wishes to join Global 

Entry, the closest CBP interview location is in Houston, Texas—nearly a 6-hour 

drive away. Alternatively, if the same person wanted to qualify for Pre✓TM through 

an airline frequent flier program, U.S. Travel estimates that it would cost roughly 

$10,000 in airfare paid to a single airline in order to accrue enough frequent flier 

miles to qualify.2

Moreover, once a traveler is enrolled in Pre✓TM through a frequent flier program, 

they can only use the expedited screening lanes when flying with that particular 

airline—in airports where Pre✓TM is established. For example, an American Airlines 

Pre✓TM customer who buys an American Airlines ticket for travel from JFK airport 

to Miami International, would have access to the Pre✓TM lane. If that same customer decides to fly Delta airlines on the return flight home, he or she would not 

have access to the Pre✓TM lane, simply because they are not flying with American 

Airlines. In our opinion, risk should not be determined by your loyalty to any one 

airline. 

Fortunately, there are many innovative ways to bolster the Pre✓TM program. TSA 

and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can increase participation in 

Pre✓TM by expanding CBP’s trusted traveler programs and allowing travelers to 

qualify by aggregating their frequent flier miles across multiple airlines. Additionally, once a passenger is enrolled in the program, Pre✓TM passengers should be immediately granted access to any Pre✓TM lane. 

But TSA must also offer enrollment opportunities beyond CBP trusted travelers 

and elite frequent fliers if the program is going to succeed. In 2011, the U.S. Travel 

Association, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and CLEAR 

submitted to TSA a joint proposal for expanding Pre✓TM. Under our proposal, TSA 

would establish a new set of eligibility requirements for participation in the program. U.S. Travel, AAAE, CLEAR, and TSA would then work to create enrollment 

procedures that meet these requirements by using proven and operationally ready 

methods of identity verification and risk assessment. Once these procedures are in 

place, our organizations could quickly increase enrollment in Pre✓TM by leveraging 

CLEAR’s existing base of 200,000 members and providing additional outlets for enrollment in places frequented by travelers—including airport, hotel, rental car, and 

convention center lobbies. Additionally, CLEAR is willing to explore a partnership 

with CBP whereby persons who enroll in Pre✓TM through CLEAR would be offered 

reimbursement for the CBP trusted traveler application fees. 

TSA is considering various aspects of our proposal and we look forward to working 

with them in the future to expand Pre✓TM and ensure its future success. 

PROMOTE AND EXPAND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Just as FAA is predicting a significant increase in domestic air travel, international air travel is expected to grow as well. On a worldwide basis, total international tourist arrivals are projected to grow 36 percent between 2010 and 2020, 
77 

resulting in $2.2 trillion in direct travel spending and 62 million jobs. Over the 

same period, international travel revenue as a share of global GDP is forecast to 

increase by 10 percent. This presents enormous economic and diplomatic opportunities of the United States. 

Increasing secure travel to the United States is an integral part of a successful 

foreign policy. As noted by a Federal advisory committee to the Departments of 

Homeland Security and State in 2008: 

Our long-term success requires not only that we deter and detect determined adversaries, but also that we persuade millions of people around the globe of our 

ideals—democratic freedom, private enterprise, human rights, intellectual pursuit, 

technological achievement. That persuasion requires human interaction, and each 

visitor to the United States represents such an opportunity. Raw statistics are important in analyzing our achievements and challenges, but so are the attitudes we 

display. Treating prospective and actual visitors with dignity and respect will reinforce, not diminish, our security. 

The travel industry is also a leading source of U.S. exports. When visitors travel 

to the United States from abroad, they inject new money into our economy by staying in our hotels, shopping at our stores, visiting our attractions and eating at our 

restaurants. In many cases, they are also here to conduct business that can lead 

to significant sales of U.S. products and services in overseas markets. Every dollar 

these visitors spend in the United States counts as an export—just like agricultural 

crops, minerals, or manufactured goods. International travel to the United States 

generated more than $134 billion in exports in 2010, supported 1.8 million U.S. jobs, 

and made travel the Nation’s leading industry export. 

In May 2011, the U.S. Travel Association released a comprehensive report which 

studied the effects of the visa process on international travel to the United States 

and found that delays, cost, access, and unpredictability in the U.S. visa system 

served as a barrier for potential visitors and contributed to our lost market share. 

The travel industry rallied together in support of recommendations in the U.S. 

Travel Association’s report that would help to reform the visa process in key highgrowth and high-spend markets such as Brazil, China, and India. 

While reforms can often be difficult to implement and are rarely done quickly, we 

greatly appreciate the support and attention Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Tom Nides, and U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke have dedicated to improving the U.S. visa process 

in China and Brazil over the last year. The State Department has undertaken several steps, most importantly dedicating more personnel and resources toward visa 

adjudication. Among the Department’s recent initiatives are: 

—Adding 100 visa adjudicators in China and Brazil, many of whom are being 

hired through a pilot program that targets applicants with Mandarin and Portuguese language skills. 

—Extending hours at some posts in China and Brazil at existing facilities to process more visa applicants. 

—Expanding visa-processing facilities to allow for increased interview capacity of 

applicants. 

—Opening a new Embassy consular facility in Beijing to increase visa interview 

capacity in by 50 percent. 

—Initiating a new pilot program that permits consular officers to waive interviews for some qualified non-immigrant applicants worldwide who are renewing 

their visa within 48 months of the expiration of their previously held visa, and 

within the same classification as the previous visa. 

—In Brazil, permitting consular officers to waive interviews for applicants 15 

years and under and 66 and older. 

—Sending temporary duty officers to manage seasonal spikes in visa application 

demand. 

Furthermore, we applaud the President for issuing Executive Order 13597 which 

gives this issue the prominence it deserves, and offers the vision and commitment 

we have long needed to reap the economic, security and public diplomacy rewards 

that will come from improving our competitiveness in the global travel market. 

We look forward to working with the new Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness that was created by the Executive order to help fulfill the enormous promise 

of America’s travel industry and strengthen our economy’s leading industry export. 

However, there is also a clear role for Congress to help advance policy that will increase legitimate international travel. I will focus on three key areas: the entry experience at U.S. international airports, the visa issuance process, and the Visa 

Waiver Program. 
78 

3GAO, ‘‘Border Security: Long-term Strategy Needed to Keep Pace with Increasing Demand 

for Visas’’. (13–JUL–07, GAO–07–847) 4 Ibid. 

VISA ISSUANCE PROCESS

As I mentioned, visa issuance process will be a critical factor in determining 

whether the United States will regain the 17-percent global travel market share we 

once held and whether we can match the market power our Western European competitors currently enjoy in the thriving Brazilian, Chinese, and Indian travel markets. 

We believe Congress can play a key role in ensuring that the reforms the State 

Department has implemented to reduce the backlog in visa processing in Brazil and 

China are replicated in other countries and that they are sustained over time. In 

our view, Congress should codify a 2-week visa processing standard. Furthermore, 

a consistent set of metrics that indicate the efficiency, effectiveness, and consumer 

friendliness of visa application and adjudication should be maintained and be used 

to analyze and continually improve performance and optimize deployment of resources. The performance metrics related to visa application and adjudication and 

those related to entry of international travelers, both citizens and non-citizens, 

should be globally benchmarked. For example, the State Department needs to develop a short-term and long-term plan for addressing visa processing problems in 

key emerging markets (Brazil, China, and India) and measure its visa processing 

performance against Western European countries competing for these visitors. 

Progress assessments should be evaluated by GAO annually; both the report and 

assessment should be submitted to Congress for review. The State Department 

should develop a formal tracking mechanism to measure results, and its annual 

budget request should reflect the resources required to these meet targets. 

Another area for Congress to engage is in providing greater access to a U.S. visa interview for thousands of applicants. The visa application fee is $140 but the real 

cost of obtaining a U.S. visa is far greater, particularly when potential visitors do 

not live near a consular post issuing visas and therefore must travel hundreds if 

not thousands of miles and pay for a flight and hotel to make a mandatory trip to 

a U.S. consulate for an interview that on average lasts for 3 minutes. 

Thanks to the leadership of Senator Landrieu and others on this subcommittee, 

the fiscal year 2012 omnibus appropriations bill included language that granted the 

State Department the authority to develop and conduct a pilot program that would 

use secure videoconferencing technology to interview visa applicants remotely. Ensuring security of the videoconferencing transmission and encryption must be a top 

priority. Therefore, we support granting Federal agents access to the recorded interview videos as well as ensuring that the State Department works with other Federal 

agencies that regularly transmit real-time video, biometric, and document data 

through secure means. Unfortunately, the State Department has stated that it does 

not intend to carry out a pilot of the technology. We hope to work with the subcommittee and the State Department on this issue to find a way to move a pilot 

forward. The fact is we live in a world where technology can help us solve problems 

but we must be open to testing it. 

Furthermore, the lack of reliable information regarding applicant backlogs makes 

it difficult to identify consulates where demand is not being properly met. The GAO 

reported, ‘‘Wait times generally do not provide a sense of applicant backlog, which 

is the number of people who are waiting to be scheduled for an appointment or the 

number of people who have an appointment but have yet to be seen.’’ 3 In order to 

better understand and manage workload, staffing and throughput, it is critical that 

the State Department develop a better measure of applicant backlogs and use that 

information to deploy resources more efficiently and develop annual budget requests. 

The State Department should also set a standard for capping interview dates at 

consulates to prevent consulates from artificially limiting appointment dates which 

only serves to mislead applicants about the actual interview wait times. The GAO 

noted in its report: ‘‘We observed that some posts artificially limit wait times by 

tightly controlling the availability of future appointment slots—such as by not making appointments available beyond a certain date, which can make appointment 

scheduling burdensome for the applicant who must continually check for new openings.’’ 4 We believe that individual posts should not control the availability of appointment slots to artificially limit wait times. We urge the State Department to 

publish specific guidance on this issue. 

The lack of reliable information about the visa system, its current performance 

and its ability to meet future demand makes it all the more difficult to make im-
79 

provements. However, we know that improving the performance and competitiveness of the visa processing system must begin with transparency. We recommend 

a system of ongoing information sharing that should take place at least annually— 

and in some cases monthly. This data should include: 

—Monthly visa interview wait times for each consulate so that travelers can view 

historical information and make informed decisions about when to apply. 

—Consulate throughput capacity and ability to meet projected visa demand. 

VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

The most economical and powerful step the U.S. Government can take to improve 

the performance and competitiveness of the visa processing system while maintaining national security is to sign bilateral visa-free travel agreements with new countries as part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Visitors from VWP countries 

played a leading role in making travel the leading service export for our Nation. 

VWP countries are the largest source of inbound overseas travel to the United 

States. According to Commerce Department data, over 17 million VWP visitors, 65 

percent of all visitors from overseas traveled to the United States in 2010. While 

here, they spent more than $61 billion, supporting 433,000 American jobs along 

with $12 billion in payroll, and generating $9 billion in Government tax revenues. 

Countries in the VWP must agree to adopt strict security measures, strong travel 

document standards, and enhanced information sharing agreements with the United 

States. In addition, each traveler from a participating country must also obtain preclearance to board a flight to the United States through the Electronic System Travel Authorization (ESTA). 

We strongly support the recommendation in the President’s recent Executive 

order on travel and tourism, that the U.S. Government increase its efforts to expand 

the VWP. We are pleased that the administration has nominated Taiwan for participation in the VWP and we support Taiwan’s inclusion. In the short-term we also 

believe the Departments of State and Homeland Security should immediately begin 

bilateral negotiations with countries that are prospective candidates for the VWP. 

Recently, the U.S. Travel Association studied the economic impact of including the 

11 likeliest candidates for VWP status: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, 

Israel, Panama, Poland, Romania, Taiwan, and Uruguay. Last year, 3 million visitors from these countries spent $14 billion in the United States, directly supporting 

104,300 jobs in the American travel industry. In the first year of participation in 

the VWP, the growth rate of visitation from these countries would nearly double. 

If that first year were 2012, VWP status would generate an additional 482,000 arrivals and $5.1 billion more in total revenue. VWP eligibility would quickly drive 

up arrivals from these 11 nations to 4 million visitors with an overall economic impact exceeding $41 billion, supporting 256,000 American jobs. The 32,200 additional 

U.S. jobs created this year would be eight times more than employment at the largest auto assembly plant in Michigan. 

Every potential new VWP visitor from Brazil, Poland, and other key markets constitutes, in effect, a walking economic stimulus package. Each has the desire and 

means to travel to the United States, for business and/or pleasure; and rarely do 

these visits require additional U.S. infrastructure. It is just a question of whether 

our entry process is welcoming or discouraging, as compared with destinations in 

other nations. 

Another key goal of the Visa Waiver Program is to improve standards for air security, travel documents, and international law enforcement collaboration. As a condition of participation in the program, VWP countries must follow strict counter-terrorism, border security, law enforcement, and document security guidelines, as well 

as participate in information-sharing arrangements with the United States. VWP 

countries must issue International Civil Aviation Organization-compliant electronic 

passports; report information on all lost and stolen passports to the United States 

through Interpol; and share information on travelers who may pose a terrorist or 

criminal threat to the United States. As a result, our Government is able to supplement our watch-list database with information from the travelers’ home governments. In addition, each VWP traveler must also obtain pre-clearances to board a 

flight to the United States through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. 

Taken together, these eligibility requirements ensure compliance with elevated security standards and cooperation with United States law enforcement. This enables 

us to better detect, apprehend, and limit the movement of terrorists, criminals, and 

other dangerous travelers—and to shift limited visa screening resources to higher 

risk countries. 

The most effective ambassadors of American values are ordinary Americans. Citizens from VWP countries who travel to the United States for tourism or business 
80 

form life-long impressions of American society based on their visits to destinations, 

large and small, across America. From our national parks to our ball parks to our 

theme parks, the heartland of our great Nation reflects the best of the United States 

to foreign visitors. The more they know us, the better they like us. 

Surveys have shown that foreigners who have the opportunity to visit the United 

States are 74 percent more likely to have a favorable view of our country; and that 

61 percent are more likely to support the United States and its policies. Moreover, 

the mere agreement itself to establish a visa waiver relationship reinforces bilateral 

goodwill. While its explicit mission is to enhance security and encourage travel, the 

Visa Waiver Program has also demonstrated significant public diplomacy value as 

a ‘‘soft power’’ tool that complements our formal foreign policy mechanisms. 

By strengthening our alliances and enhancing our Nation’s global image, the Visa 

Waiver Program has helped to keep us safer. By facilitating more efficient flow of 

overseas visitors for legitimate business and leisure at a time when the global travel 

market is booming, VWP expansion offers enormous export opportunity for the U.S. 

travel and tourism sector across the entire Nation. 

That is why we strongly support bipartisan legislation introduced earlier this congressional session by Senator Mikulski (D-MD) and Senator Kirk (R-IL) which 

would reform the criteria for being admitted to the Visa Waiver Program, with the 

intent to accelerate VWP expansion (S. 2046). We urge Congress to make passage 

of this legislation a top priority this year. 

The stakes are high for every American business seeking to host meetings with 

international customers, for dozens of international trade shows each year whose 

foreign clients need to enter the United States on a deadline, and for tens of thousands of U.S. workers and businesses dependent on a vibrant inbound travel market. We appreciate your ongoing interest in ensuring an efficient entry process and 

look forward to continuing to work closely with you to move this legislation forward. 

IMMIGRATION PROCESSING UPON ARRIVAL INTO THE UNITED STATES

How international visitors are treated when they arrive in the United States and 

is just as important as the visa process. Over the last decade, as recommended by 

the 9/11 Commission, the U.S. Government has rightly built additional layers of security into America’s border entry process. However, the way some of these policies 

are implemented has had the unintended effect of alienating some international 

travelers. Overseas visitors complain about hour-long waits at the inspection areas 

at airports and of unfriendly treatment by inspection officials. 

This negative perception of the U.S. entry process was on full display in 2009 

when President Obama traveled to Copenhagen to help promote Chicago’s bid for 

the Olympic Games. An International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from Pakistan, in the question-and-answer session following Chicago’s official presentation, 

pointed out to the President that entering the United States can be ‘‘a rather 

harrowing experience.’’ 

When IOC members are expressing concern to our President about the kind of 

welcome international visitors would get from airport officials when they arrive in 

this country to attend the Olympic Games, we need to take seriously the challenge 

of reforming our entry process to make sure we are welcoming our friends around 

the world, even as we ensure a secure system. 

Since 2006, our industry has partnered with DHS and CBP to offer strategic advice on how to provide improved customer service and increased efficiency in traveler facilitation. CBP has implemented some recommendations quite effectively, 

such as the adoption of a welcome video—produced by Disney—that is now played 

at all major international U.S. airports. CBP also created the Global Entry program 

to fast-track previously vetted Americans and select international visitors returning 

from international trips. But much more remains to be done. 

The Department of Homeland Security should aim to process all international arriving passengers within 30 minutes at the primary inspection area. This can be 

done by developing and implementing a comprehensive and automated staffing 

model to improve passenger facilitation. In addition to the workload staffing model, 

CBP should also expand the staffing workload alignment tool (SWAT) to additional 

airports in order to better anticipate short-term staffing demands and reduce wait 

times at primary inspection areas. To meet these goals, the DHS appropriations bill 

for fiscal year 2013 should fund CBP adequately to implement appropriate staffing 

reforms included in the workload staffing model to decrease wait times at airports 

of entry. 

U.S. Travel also encourages the establishment of baseline data and the development clear staffing metrics in order to assess the efficiency of CBP’s workforce. The 
81 

development of performance metrics will increase agency accountability and ensure 

effective use of their current resources. 

The Department of Homeland Security should ensure that the $110 million in annual funding resulting from the elimination of the COBRA fee exemptions from Canadian, Caribbean, and Mexican air and sea travelers be reinvested into CBP staffing and facilitation at air and sea ports of entry. 

U.S. Travel remains concerned that a shortage of inspection agents continues to 

produce excessive delays in processing international passengers at some of this Nation’s highest volume international airports. Some international airports note that 

thousands of passengers arriving from long flights are experiencing delays of up to 

3 hours due to inadequate staffing. We would like to work with your subcommittee 

to find a sensible funding solution to ensure adequate staffing is provided to process 

international travelers visiting our Nation. We also encourage CBP to enhance 

transparency and reporting related to airport wait times data. We recommend that 

the fiscal year 2013 DHS appropriations bill should require this information to be 

published on CBP’s Web site and submitted to the subcommittee through a comprehensive report on a quarterly basis. 

These long delays in processing hurt the undoubtedly hurt customer experience 

and discourage travelers from visiting or doing business in the United States. The 

fiscal year 2013 DHS appropriations bill should include provisions contained in the 

House DHS Authorization bill to improve CBP transparency and customer service 

through the implementation of a comprehensive system to collect, analyze, respond 

to traveler comments. In addition, the legislation includes requirements for CBP to 

set baseline standards and implement clear metrics to track progress of customer 

services related issues and establish agency best practices. 

Lastly, CBP should increase the number of nations participating in the Global 

Entry program and implement fully those reciprocal agreements signed to date with 

the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Korea, among others, so that 

the maximum number of foreign nationals can be signed up under Global Entry. We 

recommend that CBP provide a more user-friendly process for individual registration to the program, including simplifying the online application and providing additional staff and locations for in-person interviews in order to ensure conditionally 

approved applicants are interviewed within 6 weeks. 

CLOSING

If this country is serious about becoming more competitive in a global economy, 

Congress and the administration have to encourage Americans and legitimate international visitors to travel in the United States by reducing unnecessary hassles and 

barriers, while maintaining necessary security. The stakes are enormous. Our own 

analysis shows that if the United States recaptured its historic share of worldwide 

overseas—or long-haul—travel by 2015 and maintained that share through 2020, it 

would add nearly $100 billion to the economy over the next decade and create nearly 700,000 more U.S. jobs. Increasing America’s share of worldwide long-haul travel 

is a no-brainer and, with the right policies, should be relatively easy to do. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you, Mr. Dow. And your focus on 

using technology to help solve these problems I really appreciate. 

Mr. Barclay. 

STATEMENT OF CHARLES M. BARCLAY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES 

Mr. BARCLAY. Thank you, Chair Landrieu. 

I would just like to make three very brief points because a lot 

of our testimony repeats what Roger and the first panel have said. 

The first is that airport executives strongly support the philosophy behind RBS and the Trusted Traveler programs. We congratulate the Department on both Pre✓TM and Global Entry. I particularly want to point out Administrator Pistole deserves great 

credit for taking Pre✓TM from theory to practice. It is something 

that has been debated for far too long over the last 10 years, as 

you have noted. 

Second, RBS is not an option. We have to go to more efficient use 

of our limited screening resources. Passenger growth alone will 

overwhelm our facilities and our checkpoints if we do not make 
82 

more efficient use of intelligence and information that people are 

willing to provide on themselves. 

And third, airports want to be of greater help. Airports would 

like to engage in local enrollment of trusted populations in order 

to expand the numbers of people going through Pre✓TM. We have 

a number of both large and small airports that are eager to do this 

for the frequent travelers in their communities, but people who do 

not travel enough to be on one airline’s high level frequent flyer list 

or they may not travel internationally and be thinking of Global 

Entry. 

This is not just a theoretical offer. Airports own the Transportation Security Clearinghouse which has processed 12 million biometric and biographic background checks to Federal Government 

standards for airport workers and passengers in the past 10 years. 

We have a number of airports that want to take that process and 

on a voluntary basis airports would market enrollment again to 

trusted communities locally and brand it for themselves. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

Finally, the key to Pre✓TM is to fill up those lanes. If we do not 

fill those lanes—at a lot of airports, you cannot put a new lane in. 

So if you designate a lane for Pre✓TM and put the resources there, 

we need to get the volume going through there. Airports are eager 

to quickly help engage in enrollment and make sure that we are 

putting enough volume through those lanes in order to justify 

them, and in both kinds of lanes, it will speed passengers’ screening process. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHARLES M. BARCLAY

Senator Landrieu, Senator Coats, and members of the subcommittee, on behalf of 

the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)—the world’s largest airport 

organization, representing thousands of men and women across the country who 

manage and operate the Nation’s airports—I want to thank you for the opportunity 

to participate in this important hearing on the Department of Homeland Security’s 

(DHS) travel programs and initiatives. We appreciate the subcommittee’s continued 

focus on enhancing security, efficiency, and passenger satisfaction in air travel and 

look forward to working with you toward that end in the months ahead as you develop fiscal year 2013 Department of Homeland Security appropriations legislation. 

Although airport operators do not have a direct role in screening passengers at 

airport checkpoints or in processing international air travelers, airport professionals 

are committed to enhancing security and efficiency at their facilities and serve as 

important partners to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in meeting their respective missions in these 

areas. Airport executives remain strongly committed to working collaboratively with 

the Federal Government to expedite checkpoint screening and international facilitation, and we are encouraged by recent developments with the implementation by 

DHS of intelligence-driven, risk-based programs, including CBP’s Global Entry and 

TSA’s PreCheck (Pre✓TM) trusted traveler programs. 

On the international facilitation front, DHS and CBP leaders should be commended for initiating and growing the Global Entry program, which is showing demonstrable benefits at a number of international airports across the country. Continued expansion and utilization of Global Entry combined with additional CBP 

staffing at international airports are key to the timely processing of international 

travelers and ensuring that the United States remains a prime tourist and travel 

destination—a goal that has profound implications for the broader U.S. economy. A 

group of international gateway airports known as the G–10 have done extensive 

work on international facilitation issues and have a series of specific recommendations that I have included at the end of my testimony. I urge the subcommittee to 

give these recommendations careful consideration as well. 
83 

We also appreciate the administration’s efforts to encourage international travel 

and tourism with recently announced initiatives, including the enhancement of the 

Global Entry and Visa Waiver programs. Notably, AAAE Airport Alliance Chair and 

Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Rosie Andolino has been appointed 

by the President to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and will play a 

key role in addressing travel facilitation, visa policy, improving the international 

travel experience, and other important topics as part of that group. 

Domestically, airport executives are equally enthusiastic about the roll-out and 

announced expansion of the TSA Pre✓TM program. Administrator Pistole and his 

team deserve immense credit for their leadership in moving forward with the program and other risk-based initiatives. We also appreciate the support and funding 

the initiative received from this subcommittee and Congress in fiscal year 2012, as 

you have highlighted previously, Madam Chair. 

Airport executives anticipate great success with Pre✓TM and recognize that the 

next challenge will be moving from a largely airline-centric program in operation at 

merely a handful of airports to one that is operational for large numbers of travelers 

at airport facilities across the country. As you know, Pre✓TM in its current form is 

available only to certain elite travelers on specific airlines and participants in the 

CBP Global Entry program who fly on participating air carriers. 

Airport executives would like to see the program expanded to accommodate as 

many additional, qualified travelers as possible through a community based, airportcentric approach that allows vastly larger populations of travelers to enroll and participate in Pre✓TM-approved programs on an airport-by-airport basis and become 

trusted through Government-approved vetting protocols. While airline-based programs and Global Entry are good avenues in enrolling qualified participants, additional efforts will be needed to accommodate a broader range of qualified travelers— 

a goal that airports, the traveling public, and the Government share. 

Some have argued that the Global Entry process is sufficient in and of itself as 

an enrollment platform. It is worth noting, however, that only roughly one-third of 

the U.S. population currently holds a valid passport, based on recent statistics from 

the State Department. Since holding a valid passport is a requirement for Global 

Entry participation, some two-thirds of the American public is currently ineligible 

for participation through that process—a fact that highlights the need for a more 

robust approach. 

Airports Are Eager To Partner With DHS To Expand Trusted Traveler Programs 

AAAE and airports have long supported the trusted traveler concept that 

underlies both the Global Entry and Pre✓TM programs, and we are actively working 

with CBP and TSA in an effort to rapidly expand the population of passengers participating in these programs, which virtually everyone knowledgeable about the program acknowledges is necessary to maximize the efficiency and security benefits 

achieved by focusing limited DHS resources on higher risk passengers. We are also 

working collaboratively with DHS to address related issues affecting program expansion, including checkpoint configuration, queue management, modified LEO response expectations, and public outreach and communication. 

Airports long ago recognized that there was great potential value in terms of enhanced security and efficiency with the deployment of trusted traveler programs. 

Airports have also understood that they are uniquely situated to bring interested 

parties together to chart a course that would result in the successful deployment 

and operation of these types of programs. 

Over the past decade, AAAE and individual airports have worked closely with 

TSA and the technology community to implement other specific trusted traveler programs, including Registered Traveler (RT). In roughly 1 year, the RT program enrolled more than 250,000 travelers at 24 airports, proving the security and efficiency 

benefits that adoption of these programs provides. As you may know, CLEAR is actively working to build upon the earlier RT program and is currently in operation 

at several key airports, including Orlando and Denver with plans to expand to San 

Francisco and Dallas/Fort Worth later this year. AAAE is encouraged by and supportive of those initiatives and others aimed at facilitating the wide-scale utilization 

of the trusted traveler approach at airports across the country. 

Based on our prior success with trusted traveler initiatives, AAAE has encouraged 

TSA and CBP to utilize community based, airport-centric enrollment options to facilitate the flow of additional information to the agencies on a significantly expanded 

number of low-risk passengers for eligibility in the Pre✓TM and Global Entry programs. In addition to providing the volume of passengers necessary for TSA and 

CBP to realize the operational efficiencies for which the programs are designed, airport specific, public enrollment options will allow airport operators to proactively 

and directly participate in the risk-based programs that they support. 
84 

By playing such a key role, airport operators will also benefit from local implementation of national programs that enhance security. Airport involvement will also 

bolster the relationship between airport operators and local DHS staff, increase affinity to airports, and assist DHS in reducing the complexity while enhancing the 

customer experience at passenger screening checkpoints and international arrivals 

areas. The success of DHS’ efforts to advance intelligence driven risk-based security 

approaches is a top priority for AAAE and its airport leadership. 

Airports are confident that in partnership with TSA and CBP they can help facilitate the deployment of robust trusted/known traveler programs that focus on enhanced security above all else in addition to expediting the travel experience. These 

two pillars are the primary values that air travelers want and that each of you as 

policymakers rightly will demand. By bringing efficiency back into the Nation’s airport screening checkpoints and the international facilitation process, TSA screeners 

and CBP personnel will be able to better focus their limited resources on the critical 

task of providing more rigorous screening to individuals about whom we know less 

than those who use the system the most and have voluntarily submitted background 

information for extensive vetting and clearance. 

Recommendation.—In addition to providing adequate funding to support the Global Entry and Pre✓TM programs in fiscal year 2013, AAAE recommends that the subcommittee and Congress encourage CBP and TSA to continue working with airports 

to expand these critical trusted traveler programs to additional populations and airport facilities through community-based, airport-centric enrollment approaches. 

TSA Efforts To Upgrade Airport Baggage Systems Must Continue With Federal Support 

In addition to the wide-scale deployment of trusted traveler programs, efforts to 

upgrade outdated and inefficiency technology to screen checked baggage for explosives must continue with Federal support if we are to successfully reduce lines and 

headaches for passengers at the Nation’s airports. While good progress has been 

made over the past decade in upgrading checked baggage systems at airports of all 

sizes thanks to the good work of this subcommittee and Congress, a number of airports remain in need of improved, in-line baggage screening systems. 

Adding to the complexity of the ongoing problem is the fact that much of the explosives detection (EDS) equipment placed in airports to screen checked baggage in 

the wake of the 9/11 attacks is at or near the end of its useful life, necessitating 

a costly recapitalization. In an effort to address this issue, the administration in fiscal year 2012 requested and Congress granted to the TSA limited flexibility to utilize for the purchase of EDS equipment funds designated under permanent law for 

facility modification at airports to accommodate optimal EDS solutions. The fiscal 

year 2013 budget requests similar authority for TSA. 

While airports recognize and support efforts to purchase necessary equipment, we 

are concerned that resources intended to help make necessary facility modifications 

at airports to accommodate optimal EDS solutions—the precise purpose of the Aviation Security Capital Fund—are being diverted to pay for equipment. Since terminal 

modifications are necessary in most instances to install updated EDS equipment, diverting funding from the Aviation Security Capital Fund could stall necessary 

projects at airports as has been the case in the past. Many airports simply don’t 

have funding readily available for costly terminal modifications and must rely on 

the Federal Government to meet its obligations in this area. 

Recommendation.—Congress should provide TSA with the resources it needs to 

purchase EDS equipment and reject requests to divert resources from the Aviation 

Security Capital Fund designated for airport infrastructure upgrades for purposes 

beyond the scope of current law. As past experiences with technology deployment 

in airports prove, important projects can become stalled or slow significantly in instances where resources are not available for necessary airport facility upgrades. 

AAAE further asks that Congress ensure the agency pays for all appropriate costs 

associated with EDS installation projects, including ‘‘bricks and mortar’’ infrastructure upgrades necessary to accommodate mandated screening systems. 

TSA Must Remain Focused on Its Primary Mission of Passenger and Baggage 

Screening 

While not the prime focus of today’s hearing, we also wanted to bring to the subcommittee’s attention our concern with proposals that continue to emerge to expand 

TSA’s authority beyond its primary mission of passenger and baggage screening. Expanding the agencies reach and responsibilities—particularly to areas already in capable local hands—threatens to dilute already scarce resources. 

As you know, airports play a critical role in aviation security, serving as an important partner to TSA in helping the agency meet its core mission of passenger and 
85 

baggage screening. The significant changes that have taken place in airports over 

the past decade with the creation of the TSA and its assumption of all screening 

duties have been aided dramatically by the work of the airport community, and we 

will serve as a critical local partner to the agency as it continually modifies its operations, including some of the risk-based security initiatives that are under discussion today. 

In addition to partnering with TSA to meet its core mission, airports as public 

entities provide a critical local layer of security, performing a number of inherently 

local security-related functions at their facilities, including incident response and 

management, perimeter security, employee vetting and credentialing, access control, 

infrastructure and operations planning, and local law enforcement functions. These 

important duties have long been local responsibilities that have been performed by 

local authorities in accordance with Federal standards and subject to Federal oversight. Airport operators meet their security-related obligations with a sharp focus 

on the need to protect public safety, which remains one of their fundamental missions. The professionals who perform these duties at airports are highly trained and 

have the first responder authorities and responsibilities that we all value immensely. 

Recommendation.—From a security and resource perspective, it is critical that inherently local security functions—including incident response and management, perimeter security, employee vetting, and credentialing, access control, infrastructure 

and operations planning and local law enforcement—remain local with Federal oversight and backed by Federal resources when appropriate. We urge the subcommittee 

and Congress to reject efforts to federalize local security functions at airports. 

Airport Credentialing and Access Control Should Remain With Local Airport Control 

One area of particular concern for airport executives that we are compelled to 

highlight for the subcommittee is an ongoing effort to ‘‘harmonize’’ or ‘‘modernize’’ 

various aspects of existing transportation worker vetting programs. In the aviation 

environment, the background check process for workers operates successfully as a 

Federal/local partnership with the Federal Government holding sole responsibility 

for security threat assessments and other necessary Government checks for prospective workers and with local airport authorities operating and managing enrollment, 

credentialing, badging, criminal history background check adjudication, and access 

control systems in accordance with strict Federal standards. 

The current system for aviation ensures the highest level of security by combining 

the unique local experience, expertise, and knowledge that exists at individual airports with Federal standardization, Federal oversight, and Federal vetting assets. 

Local involvement provides a critical layer of security and gives airports the operational control they require to ensure that qualified employees receive the credentials they need to work in the airport environment. 

In contrast to the long-standing locally controlled credentialing and access control 

apparatus that exists in the aviation environment, the credentialing/access control 

system in place in the maritime environment with the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program is relatively new. Under the TWIC model, the 

Federal Government or its contractors are responsible for virtually all aspects of the 

process, including worker enrollment, applicant vetting, credential issuance, and 

some elements of access control. In our view, the early results of TWIC have been 

uneven at best despite hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal investments. The 

existing system in aviation operates at no cost to the Federal Government. 

Some have suggested abandoning the successful local systems and processes already in place at airports with badging and access control to expand TSA and the 

Federal Government’s control over more of the process as is the case with TWIC 

in the maritime environment. Airport executives oppose any move to shift any additional functions in aviation to the Federal Government and believe that such a move 

would diminish security by reducing or eliminating a critical, extra layer of security 

that is already in place in airports and absent with the TWIC approach. 

Pursuing such an approach would scuttle a successful local/Federal model that 

has worked well for decades, eliminate local operational control, stymie significant 

efforts already under way at airports across the country to upgrade and biometrically enable existing airport badging and access control systems, and significantly 

increase costs to the aviation industry with no demonstrable security benefit. 

While the desire to centralize and federalize the process for all transportation 

worker vetting programs in the name of modernization or harmonization may be understandable from the Federal Government’s perspective, airport executives are concerned about Federal intrusion into existing processes that have worked well for 

decades. Airports are also very concerned about having to help foot the bill for these 

initiatives—estimated at $633 million through 2025 in appropriations and new fees 
86 

as part of the TTAC Infrastructure Modernization (TIM) program—for changes that 

provide them with no demonstrable security or operational benefit. The current system in aviation operates efficiently and effectively at a fraction of the cost of other 

transportation vetting programs and at no cost to the Federal Government. We 

want to ensure that remains the case. 

Recommendation.—TSA can and should continue with its efforts to modernize and 

harmonize its internal vetting programs without the need to expand the Federal 

Government’s responsibilities to include credentialing and access control in the aviation environment. As the subcommittee and Congress consider the TIM program, we 

urge you to exempt aviation from any new fees or requirements in recognition of 

the existing, successful, locally controlled credentialing and access control model and 

the significant investments that have been made locally over the years to those systems. Efforts to federalize any of these processes or functions are unnecessary and 

wasteful and should be rejected. 

CONCLUSION

With Federal resources under severe constraint and with more than 700 million 

passengers traveling through the U.S. aviation system each year—a number that is 

expected to grow significantly in the years ahead—it is imperative that TSA remain 

focused on its primary mission of passenger and baggage screening while pursuing 

risk-based approaches to enhance security and efficiency. AAAE and airport executives are encouraged by recent efforts to move forward with trusted traveler programs with Global Entry and Pre✓TM and are eager to partner with CBP and TSA 

to expand those programs to additional populations and airports through community-based, airport-centric approaches. 

I appreciated the opportunity to be here today and look forward to any questions 

you have. 

[The G–10 Airports Coalition’s facilitation talking points (March 2012) follow:] 

ATTACHMENT, G–10 AIRPORTS COALITION—ATLANTA; CHICAGO; DALLAS/FORT

WORTH; DENVER; HOUSTON; LOS ANGELES; METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS

AUTHORITY; MIAMI; NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY PORT AUTHORITY; PHILADELPHIA; 

PHOENIX; SAN FRANCISCO; SEATTLE/TACOMA. 

Efficient facilitation of internationally arriving travelers at the gateway airports 

is vital to ensuring the continued growth of the U.S. economy. According to the U.S. 

Travel Association, improving the inbound air travel experience could add $85 billion in air traveler spending which would support 900,000 jobs nationally. Doubling 

spending by visitors from Brazil, China, and India specifically could result in an additional $15 billion to the U.S. economy, creating another 105,000 jobs in the travel 

and tourism industries. The following recommendations to Customs and Border Protection and the Department of State would significantly improve the international 

traveler experience, encouraging the continued growth of tourism (business, medical, 

academic, and leisure) to the United States. 

CBP ISSUES

Airport Processing Wait Time 

Adopt a 30-minute goal of processing all international arriving passengers 

through Primary Passport Control, which would illustrate the need for additional 

offers, revised scheduling and queue management, and/or new technology/programs—80 percent of all passengers by end of 2012, 90 percent by end of 2013, 100 

percent by end of 2014. 

Provide all G–10 airports with daily actual wait times logged per FIS, for greater 

transparency and communication, as well as the ability to monitor progress toward 

a goal. 

Airport Staffing Levels 

Provide additional staffing to provide adequate service to accommodate the growing number of international passengers. 

Institute a staffing model/standard to increase efficiency of operations and scheduling at current levels to maximize the number of officers in booths during peak periods, effectively reducing wait times for passengers. 

Global Entry Program 

Negotiate international reciprocal agreements to increase the number of eligible 

travelers in the Global Entry (GE) program. The GE program works to reduce overall wait times for arriving passengers by reducing the number of passengers needing 

to be processed by an officer. 
87 

Provide G–10 airports with GE data relative to numbers of enrollments and kiosk 

usage (broken down by U.S. citizens and foreign nationals) nationally and in our 

respective airports to gauge the effectiveness of promotional efforts and media outreach. 

User Fees 

Funds generated ($55 million) from the elimination of the user fee exemption for 

Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean should be directly applied to increase resources/ 

staff for airport passenger processing. 

Consolidate the CBP user fees, currently at $17.50 for Customs, Immigration, and 

USDA inspection services per arriving international passenger, into one fee and increase to a level that reflects 50 percent of CBP personnel costs (currently user fees 

account for 37 percent of CBP’s staffing budget of $2.98 billion), with the additional 

revenue to be used to expand CBP staffing at U.S. international gateway airports. 

In-Transit Visa Passengers 

Institute a pilot program to provide easier processing for in-transit (internationalto-international connecting) passengers at the G–10 airports. This would provide a 

better service to passengers—guaranteeing connections, and would eliminate these 

travelers from the general processing queue. 

VISA (DEPARTMENT OF STATE) ISSUES

Reduce the time of visa processing for all applicants (especially China and Brazil). 

Extended wait times (average 50 days in Brazil) hinder the ability for travelers to 

enter the United States, which results in billions of dollars lost. The average international visitor spends $4,000 in the U.S. per visit. 

Implement a pilot to waive in-person interviews for certain low-risk applicants 

(visa renewals, full-time students, etc.). The elimination of unnecessary interviews 

would allow officers to put greater focus on high-risk or first-time applicants and 

ease the burden for legitimate travelers to the United States. 

Expansion of the Visa Waiver Program to key target countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, would significantly increase business and tourism to the United 

States and deploy consular officers to high-risk/volume countries. 

Extend the duration of visas issued to Chinese nationals, from the current 1-year 

period to a longer period (2, 5, or 10 years). This would significantly reduce the 

number of travelers re-applying at the limited number of Embassies/Consulates in 

China. While DOS sites reciprocity and lack of repatriation as reasons, the Secretary of State has the authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act. 

Senator LANDRIEU. I think that is a very important point. I 

mean, as happy as it sounds to designate a special lane for 

prescreening passengers, it would be very aggravating to be a nonscreened passenger and stand there for 45 minutes watching no 

one go through the other lane. So I know that, Doug, you are focused on this coordination, but that is very, very important. Thank 

you for raising it. 

Mr. Hendricks. 

STATEMENT OF THOMAS L. HENDRICKS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF 

SAFETY, SECURITY AND OPERATIONS, AIRLINES FOR AMERICA 

Mr. HENDRICKS. Chairman Landrieu, thank you for the opportunity to speak this morning. It is a very critically important topic, 

and we look forward to sharing our thoughts with you. 

As you are aware, A4A represents 90 percent of the traveling 

passengers and cargo within the United States. 

I will try to briefly echo some of the thoughts of some of my fellow panel members and quickly get to our recommendations. 

We all here on the panel and members of the subcommittee recognize the importance of air travel within the United States. One 

of the dominating factors has become hassle for our passengers and 

not only hassles but the perception of hassles as they see throughput diminished during the screening process. 
88 

The President’s recent initiative on travel and tourism is a very 

positive step in our view. He has rightly recognized that the spend 

of international travelers in the United States has been reduced 

from 17 percent in 2000 to 11 percent, and we need to turn this 

around. It is very worrisome. The President’s initiative attributed 

this to increased international competition, changing patterns in 

global development, and to some degree more stringent security requirements imposed after 9/11. 

Having identified these issues that are hindering our competitive 

position, we need to act promptly and decisively to make travel and 

tourism a national priority without compromising on safety and security. This should be a centerpiece of a national airline policy. 

And we would just like to point out that a strong, vibrant, and 

healthy airline industry is good for the economy. It is good for our 

country. Those are good, high-paying jobs, and we need to do everything we can to make this industry successful. 

Needed actions. I will get to those quickly. Several basic considerations should guide any new travel and tourism strategy. As has 

been correctly pointed out, we cannot compromise on security and 

safety in any way. 

Moving to the risk-based screening program that this subcommittee has supported and that Administrator Pistole referred to 

is the right path forward to help this industry and to improve jobs 

in the United States. 

Second, while impressions may not be accurate, they count 

mightily in the tourism business. Frustration about obtaining a 

visa or the length of a line at an airport of entry or a security 

checkpoint can easily dissuade people from traveling to the United 

States. 

Third and related to the above, many countries have entry procedures that are viewed as less burdensome than ours. 

Fourth, other countries are competing hard for our tourists. 

Some new emerging markets have a cache of newness that, frankly, becomes difficult to compete with sometimes. We need to be on 

the leading edge of attracting those travelers with their dollars to 

our communities around this country. 

And fifth, globalization is generating larger opportunities for 

travel throughout the world, and we need to be in a competitive situation and go after those tourists very aggressively. 

So it is a demanding environment. 

To broaden these opportunities, very briefly I would like to make 

these recommendations. 

We would like to speed the issuance of visas, particularly for 

high-growth countries such as Brazil, China, and India, and you referred to that, Madam Chairman. 

Expand the visa waiver program which we have strong support 

for. 

We are working very closely with Administrator Pistole and his 

team on the TSA’s Pre✓TM program at domestic screening locations. 

Recognize on a reciprocal basis other countries’ trusted traveler 

entry programs that mirror CBP’s very well received Global Entry 

program. I have used that program myself. It is very effective and 

very convenient. 
89 

Speed the processing of passengers entering the United States. 

This will require CBP staffing levels to be at the appropriate level 

to accommodate greater numbers of international travelers. 

Modernize CBP’s information technology systems to keep pace 

with technology as it evolves. 

And avoid diverting CBP staff from existing airports of entry and 

overseas preclearance locations to provide additional personnel for 

land border crossings or to open new preclearance locations. We are 

trying to avoid a diversion of these resources so we can focus them 

most appropriately. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

In conclusion, there is a common recognition of the need and benefits of promoting travel and tourism. I understand that you have 

a great appreciation for that, Madam Chairman. And we look forward to taking any questions you might have. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THOMAS L. HENDRICKS

Chairman Landrieu, Ranking Member Coats and members of the subcommittee, 

thank you for inviting us to appear at this timely and important hearing. 

The members of Airlines for America (A4A) and their affiliates transport more 

than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. That traffic is carried 

on both domestic and international networks. Speaking on behalf of America’s airlines, the subject of today’s hearing is both timely and critical and we commend the 

subcommittee for allowing us to provide our views. 

OVERVIEW

Whether we are focusing on promoting travel within our country or to our country, one factor predominates: the ease of the traveler’s experience. Hassles are the 

enemies of expanding travel. We must also keep in mind that the perception of a 

hassling experience can drive travel decisions. 

Domestic and international travel is immensely important to our overall economy. It contributed $1.1 trillion to our economy in 2010 and was directly responsible for 

nearly 7.5 million American jobs. Sixty million international travelers visited our 

country that year. They spent an estimated $134 billion while they were here and 

helped generate significant levels of economic activity for those surrounding destination areas. 

And while the economic benefits of foreign visitors to the United States are impressive, they are not as great as they could be. The U.S. market share of international travelers’ spending worldwide fell from 17 percent in 2000 to a little more 

than 11 percent in 2010. This is a worrisome decline. President Obama’s recent 

travel-and-tourism Executive order attributed this decline to three factors: 

—Increased international competition; 

—Changing patterns in global development; and 

—To some degree, more stringent security requirements imposed after 2001. 

Having identified the issues hindering our competitive position, we need to act 

promptly and decisively to make travel and tourism promotion a national priority 

without compromising on security and safety. This should be a centerpiece of a national airline policy. A strong national airline policy would restore and enhance U.S. 

airline industry viability and enable it to increase air service across the Nation, 

boost economic growth, expand exports and create more high-paying U.S. jobs. 

NEEDED ACTIONS

Several basic considerations should guide a new national travel-and-tourism strategy: 

—First, security and safety cannot be compromised in any effort. U.S. Government agencies with border control responsibilities, however, have demonstrated 

that they have the experience and ability to balance the need to maintain security and simultaneously reduce barriers to travel. 

—Second, while impressions may not always be accurate, they count mightily in 

the travel and tourism business. Frustration about obtaining a visa or the 
90 

length of the line at an airport of entry or security checkpoint can easily dissuade foreign travelers from visiting the United States or Americans from taking domestic trips. 

—Third and related to the point above, many countries have entry procedures 

that travelers regard as more predictable and less burdensome than ours. These 

impressions affect travel decisions. 

—Fourth, other countries are competing hard for tourists. They have made the 

national commitment to attract foreign visitors. In some instances, these destinations have only emerged on a significant scale in the last 5 or 10 years. 

They thus have the cachet of newness, a potent competitive advantage. 

—Fifth, globalization is generating greater disposable incomes—and, therefore, 

the means to travel—in areas of the world that historically have not been the 

sources of significant numbers of visitors to the United States. To be realistic, 

travel to the United States may be viewed in those areas as something less 

than a priority. 

This is a demanding environment. America must sharpen its competitive edge if 

we are to expand the employment and economic benefits that communities throughout the United States realize from travel and tourism. 

To broaden these opportunities, the U.S. Government needs to: 

—Speed the issuance of visas, particularly for high-growth countries such as 

Brazil, China, and India. 

—Expand the Visa Waiver Program to additional countries where security assessments support such expansions. 

—Expand TSA’s Pre✓TM program at domestic passenger screening checkpoints. 

—Recognize, on a reciprocal basis, other countries’ trusted-traveler entry programs that mirror CBP’s very well-received Global Entry program. Consideration should also be given to expanding trusted-traveler programs to specific 

categories of foreign passengers, such as business travelers, who frequently 

travel to the United States. 

—Speed the processing of passengers entering the United States. This will require 

more CBP staffing to accommodate greater numbers of international travelers. 

—Modernize CBP’s information technology systems to better support its passenger processing responsibilities. 

—Avoid diverting CBP staff from existing airports of entry and overseas 

preclearance locations to provide additional personnel for land-border crossings 

or to open new preclearance locations. Diversion of these limited resources 

would delay the processing of air travelers arriving at our busiest airports of 

entry, a result that would tarnish our reputation as a desirable travel destination. 

CONCLUSION

There is a common recognition of the need and the benefits of promoting travel 

and tourism. We look forward to working with the subcommittee to achieve those 

benefits. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you and I am going to ask you what 

countries you think serve as the current models when we get to our 

questions. 

Mr. Hacker. 

STATEMENT OF STEVEN HACKER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS 

Mr. HACKER. Thank you, Madam Chairman, for this opportunity 

to share our concerns with you. I am here representing the nearly 

11,000 trade exhibitions that take place in the United States every 

year. As you would guess, most of them are now heavily dependent 

upon international visitors. 

I can tell you that more Chinese will visit France this year than 

will visit the United States. We are keeping our best, most lucrative customers from coming to buy American heavy equipment, expensive technology, and management know-how. 

What we need is an overarching strategy that combines all of 

these silos that are involved with travel, safety, tourism. We do not 

have a national strategy. What we have in place is a patchwork 
91 

quilt of fixes. The exchange you had just a few moments ago about 

Pre✓TM is a perfect example of why we need an overarching strategy to think out these systems and procedures in a very holistic 

manner. 

Knowing I was coming here yesterday, at DFW Airport I counted 

myself to be the 38th person in line at the priority lane as a 

Pre✓TM-approved passenger. It took me 28 minutes to get to the 

podium. That totally discredits the program and defeats its entire 

purpose. It should not be in place until a strategy was developed 

to implement it effectively for all of the concerns that were expressed. 

Our recommendations are fairly simple. We think that a comprehensive visa strategy is essential and that a commission ought 

to be organized drawing personnel from the Departments of Homeland Security, State, and Commerce, and the private sector. Draw 

talent out of the travel and trade industries where you have seasoned executives who know how to compete fiercely in a marketplace. Those are essential ingredients that are missing in the current system. 

Next, we must expand the visa waiver program. In the years 

since South Korea was admitted to the program, tourism from that 

important trading partner has doubled in 1 year. 

PREPARED STATEMENT

And then video conferencing. We cannot afford not to test out the 

validity of video conferencing. When you look at nations that are 

important to our strategic and economic interests like India, Brazil, 

and China, the land masses there, the existing infrastructure just 

simply does not permit those citizens to travel hundreds of miles 

to a U.S. consular office. We have the technology. We must begin 

to use it. 

Thank you, Madam Chairman. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF STEVEN HACKER

Thank you for the opportunity to share with you information about the concerns 

of the exhibitions and events industry with respect to visa, entry and homeland security issues. My name is Steven Hacker. I am the president of the International 

Association of Exhibitions and Events TM (IAEE), a not-for-profit trade association 

headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that represents the exhibitions and events industry. 

Our members in the United States produce, service, or host most of the 11,000 trade 

and public exhibitions that take place each year. These trade events represent about 

half of the total number that takes place worldwide each year. Many are state-ofthe-art events such as the International Consumer Electronics Show, ConAgra/Con 

Expo, and The National Association of Broadcasters, to name just a few that you 

may know. 

Trade shows and other exhibitions are nothing more than a mirror reflection of 

the economic circumstances of the industries and avocations that they serve. The 

events our members produce run the entire spectrum of commerce and society. 

There are literally events for every industry and interest including events serving 

the commercial fishing boat industry, wind energy, nuclear medicine, and 

scrapbooking. It should come as no surprise then that most of the events that take 

place in the United States are now dependent upon the attendance of international 

buyers and sellers. 

My friend and colleague, Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, 

often refers to the time since 9/11 as the ‘‘lost decade’’ with respect to the global 

expansion of international travel. While the number of international travelers has 

increased by 60 million worldwide, the number visiting the United States has remained essentially the same. We are only expecting to increase the number of inter-
92 

national visitors by 3.4 percent this year. To put these numbers in perspective, more 

Chinese citizens will visit France this year than will visit the United States. Our 

market share of international visitors has shrunk from 17 percent in 2000 to 12.4 

percent in 2011. We have become the ‘‘Blackberry’’ of international travel—hemorrhaging critical market share to our competitors who are thriving at the same 

time. 

The last decade has been 10 years of lost opportunity for the U.S. exhibition industry. Visa and entry hurdles have kept millions of eager foreign buyers and sellers from participating in our events. As a result, they are now buying products and 

services at exhibitions taking place in Germany, France and China. This is terribly 

frustrating and is the first of three important ironies I will share with you today. 

For the first time in modern history we stand on the brink of being able to finally 

compete on a level playing field with the colossus of the German trade fair industry 

whose decades-long and very substantial government subsidies are quickly being 

eliminated as the result of the continuing European financial crisis. The likely beneficiary of this historic economic opportunity will not be the United States—it will 

be China. 

Just last week, the Chinese Government and the city of Shanghai announced they 

will soon build the world’s largest exhibition facility—containing over 5 million 

square feet of space—large enough to house two McCormick Place Convention Centers, this Nation’s largest, within its walls. 

We have struggled for 10 years to convince State and Homeland Security that we 

must have a comprehensive and secure visa and entry policy—and I want to underscore the singular noun policy because what we now have is nothing more than a 

patchwork quilt of ad hoc measures that often are at odds with each other and that 

fall far short of constituting a seamless approach to our commercial and security interests. 

The second tragic irony is that our most promising customers who are buyers 

from the emerging economics of China, Brazil, and India are often the least likely 

visitors to secure U.S. visas. We are essentially broadcasting to our best prospects, 

‘‘do not shop here.’’ 

In late 2010 we commissioned the highly regarded research firm Oxford Economics to conduct a study that would reveal the economic consequences upon our industry and our Nation stemming from this hodgepodge of poorly conceived and executed 

visa and entry policies. The key findings of the study are disturbing: 

—Visa issues prevented 116,000 international visitors from attending U.S. exhibitions. This includes 78,400 buyers and 37,900 international exhibitors. 

These are not buyers who you would find at the Premium Outlet Mall. They 

want to come here to buy farm and construction heavy machinery costing thousands, and in many cases, millions of dollars apiece; they need aerospace components, automobile parts, technology, and U.S. service industry know-how. Today 

they are buying what they need in other nations. 

—Drop the visa barriers and the U.S. economy would realize increases in business 

sales from our events alone of about $3 billion. These gains include $1.5 billion 

in business-to-business trade, one-half billion in registration fees and exhibition 

space spending, and about $300 million in visitor spending. 

—The $3 billion in lost sales would sustain over 17,500 jobs directly and 43,000 

jobs overall. It would generate three-quarters of $1 billion in State and Federal 

taxes. 

The third irony revealed by our study is that the industrial sector that would benefit most from the removal of visa barriers is manufacturing—the sector that is 

most vital to long-term American economic security. The presence of visa obstacles 

keeps our most promising buyers from engaging with our most vital industry sector. 

What sense does this make? 
93 

We applaud both State and Homeland Security for the recently announced initiatives that will add additional resources in China, Brazil, and elsewhere and that 

will help bring down waiting times and facilitate more efficient visa processing. 

However, these latest efforts are just new pieces of the same patchwork quilt and 

continue to fall far short of constituting a comprehensive, over-arching visa and 

entry policy that also enhances national security. 

Let me hasten to add that the entry experience is as important as the visa 

issuance policy. It creates a lasting personal impression that can either be very 

helpful or very harmful to our long-term economic interests. Waiting in an immigration and customs line for 90 minutes only to be greeted by a sullen customs officer 

is not what other cultures consider hospitality. No surprise, it often reaffirms the 

conviction that ‘‘we are not wanted in the United States.’’ 

I referred earlier to ad hoc policies that are often at odds with each other. Here 

is an example. The newly launched Trusted Traveler program is something we have 

advocated repeatedly since 9/11. In most airport installations it is flawed. Trusted 

Travelers who expect to ‘‘fly through’’ TSA security screening must first wait the 

typical 20 minutes or more in the same lanes as all other travelers. This completely 

defeats the purpose of the program. The system needs to stipulate that there must 

be a lane dedicated exclusively to Trusted Travelers so they may reach the TSA podium swiftly. 

To conclude here is what we recommend: 

—We must develop a singular and comprehensive visa and entry policy that is 

designed from the ground up. It must support the mutual goals of enhancing 

our economic competitiveness and national security. We believe it would be beneficial to create a U.S. visa commission consisting of State and Homeland Security personnel and executives from the private sector for this purpose. Many of 

the flaws in the current patchwork would never be permitted if we ran visa and 

entry processing as a commercial enterprise. We need to streamline and modernize these systems if we hope to become globally competitive. Executives who 

have expertise in travel and the movement of people are resources that must 

be engaged to ensure that our Federal agencies can redesign the system in the 

most efficient and effective manner. 

—Ample evidence exists that many visa rejections appear to be illogical, capricious, and unfounded. While we believe that ultimate authority for the approval 

or denial of applicants must continue to reside with consular officials at posts 
94 

abroad, we also believe that it would be very helpful to adopt uniform guidelines that establish more definitive parameters for the circumstances that might 

bear upon the final decision to approve or deny an application. 

—The Visa Waiver Program must be expanded quickly to include our most important potential trading partners like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Poland. There 

are, of course, many others. The benefits are enormous and will materially reduce the stress on our visa and entry support systems. Expanding the Visa 

Waiver Program will free desperately needed resources that can be applied elsewhere in the system. The addition, for example, of the Republic of Korea to the 

program last year has already resulted in the doubling of visitors from that nation to the United States. 

—Allowing more international visitors to enter the United States is not a zero 

sum game. Quite the contrary. It will yield millions and millions of dollars in 

new fees and taxes to stimulate new jobs and put American commerce in a far 

more competitive position globally than we have been for the past decade. 

Thank you again for allowing me this opportunity to visit with you. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you, Mr. Hacker. 

And that is actually why I insisted on you being part of this 

panel, I think, because we have had so much focus on tourism, and 

that is extremely important and it was a subject of part of my 

opening. I do sense, as a community that also attracts large trade 

shows—I am aware of these trade shows. Lots of them happen in 

New Orleans. It is virtually impossible for our businesses to compete in the world that we have created without really pushing the 

envelope on some of this. And I agree with you. While we have 

made some progress, we have a great deal of progress to go. And 

I think your call for an overall strategy is right on. 

Ms. Nelson and then we will go to questions. 

STATEMENT OF SARA NELSON, INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS–CWA 

Ms. NELSON. Thank you, Chairwoman Landrieu, for giving us 

the opportunity to testify today. 

Our president, Veda Shook, regrets that she was unable to attend and sends her best wishes. 

I am here representing the world’s largest flight attendant union, 

the Association of Flight Attendants–CWA, representing 60,000 

flight attendants at 22 different airlines. Flight attendants, as first 

responders in the aircraft cabin, have a unique perspective on security, and we very much appreciate your attention to these issues. 

When airport security was federalized, security improved immediately. On September 11, 2001, I was based in Boston as a United 

Airlines flight attendants, and I had worked United Airlines flight 

175 frequently. It could have been me on that fateful day, but instead it was people I knew and worked with, including my good 

friends, Emmy King, Michael Tureau, Robert Fangman, Amy 

Jerrod, and the 21 other flight attendants who were my colleagues. 

I remember airport security prior to September 11 and the faces 

of the screeners who worked at the checkpoint for terminal C at 

Logan. The terrorists would have passed through this checkpoint 

to board United flight 175. I remember the screeners’ faces because 

they were all the time, 7 days a week, all hours of the day. I remember their accents and their sweet but tired smiles. I remember 

their efforts to work long hours for the lowest bidding security company so that they could provide for their own families. 

I lost my friends that day and my profession was redefined and 

our world changed forever. And I often wonder how those hard- 
95 

working security personnel have coped with their part in failing to 

stop the most fatal attack on U.S. soil. Do they know they were set 

up to fail? 

Federalizing airport screening has been a success, improving the 

security of air travel. Flight attendants are the last line of defense 

in aviation security. We depend upon a regulated Federal security 

system, and we commend TSA Administrator Pistole’s efforts to 

limit privatization of security at additional airports and we oppose 

recent actions of Congress to attempt to force the Administrator to 

allow more privatization. 

AFA expects flight attendants to be included in the Known Crewmember program as a part of the larger risk-based initiatives that 

focus on security while making screening more convenient. TSA initiated this alternate screening first for pilots in 2011. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants representing American Airlines flight attendants and the Transport Workers Union Local 556 

representing Southwest flight attendants join the 60,000 flight attendants in AFA in supporting inclusion of flight attendants in 

Known Crewmember. 

The 9/11 Commission Act provided direction that all crew members, flight attendants included, take part in expedited, alternate 

screening. Full implementation with all crew members would create a more efficient travel experience as it reduces passenger 

screening congestion. Flight attendants have access to the flight 

deck. We are subject to the same 10-year background checks as pilots, and like pilots, we carry a certificate issued by FAA. We are 

charged with protecting the flight deck at all costs, including the 

loss of our own lives. 

The Air Line Pilots Association and A4A have both requested 

that TSA expand the program to include flight attendants in the 

future, and the time is now. So we encourage the subcommittee to 

request a report from TSA establishing milestones for including 

flight attendants in the program as mandated by the 9/11 Commission Act. 

To improve efficiency and security during screening and boarding, TSA should issue regulations to limit carry-on baggage: One 

bag, plus one personal item. According to the Common Strategy Security Guidance, flight attendants are to observe passengers during 

the boarding process to watch for anything suspicious. This critical 

final layer of pre-flight security is severely hampered by the distraction of carry-on bag chaos. 

Current carry-on rules were established more than two decades 

ago, and each carrier has its own program. Global alliances and 

code share agreements can make this very confusing for passengers. For example, passengers buying a ticket on Delta’s Web 

site from Roanoke, Virginia to Paris, France, may never step foot 

on a Delta airplane as they actually fly on ExpressJet to Atlanta 

and Air France to Paris. 

A standard baggage policy enforced by TSA that limits size and 

number of carry-on bags will make screening more efficient at security checkpoints and allow flight attendants to more effectively observe the cabin for possible security threats. 

In conclusion, TSA should institute and enforce a standardized 

carry-on baggage policy. Security and the screening workforce must 
96 

remain federalized through TSA, and flight attendant inclusion in 

the Known Crewmember program should be expedited. 

We look forward to continuing our working relationship with you 

and with this subcommittee and making progress on these important issues. And we look forward to working with Administrator 

Pistole to implement these important policies. 

And thank you again so much for the opportunity to testify 

today. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF SARA NELSON

Thank you, Chairwoman Landrieu for giving us the opportunity to testify today. 

Our president, Veda Shook, regrets that she was unable to be here today and sends 

her best wishes and greetings. My name is Sara Nelson, and I am the international 

vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants–Communication Workers of 

America (AFA), AFL–CIO. AFA represents nearly 60,000 flight attendants at 22 different airlines and is the world’s largest flight attendant union. We appreciate having the opportunity to testify at today’s hearing on ‘‘Balancing Prosperity and Security: Challenges for U.S. Air Travel in a 21st Century Global Economy.’’ 

In the 10 years since the 9/11 attacks, flight attendants have been assigned increased responsibilities for ensuring safety, health, and security in the cabin. We 

receive training in fire control, first aid, aircraft evacuation, and emergency procedures, and are responsible for protecting the flight deck and cabin from an attack. 

Flight attendants play a key role in the security of passengers on the aircraft and 

are required to be on passenger flights. 

Flight attendants, as the first responders in the aircraft cabin, have a unique perspective on a number of the programs of the Transportation Security Administration 

(TSA). We are pleased to have a seat here today to share our views on how the Federal TSA workforce, expedited screening for all crewmembers, and establishing a 

standardized carry-on baggage policy can enhance safety and security while improving convenience and efficiency at our Nation’s airports. 

TSA WORKFORCE

When airport security was federalized, security improved immediately. On September 11, 2001, I was based in Boston as a United Airlines flight attendant. I remember airport security prior to September 11. I remember the faces of the screeners who worked the check point for terminal C at Logan. The terrorist would have 

passed through this check point to board United flight 175. I remember the screener’s faces because they were there all the time, 7 days a week, all hours of the day. 

I remember their accents and their sweet, but tired smiles. I remember their efforts 

to work the long hours for the lowest bidding security company just so that they 

could provide for their own families. I lost 25 of my flying partners that day, my 

profession was redefined and our world changed forever, and I often wonder how 

those hard-working security personnel have coped with their part in failing to stop 

the most fatal attack on U.S. soil. Do they understand they were set up to fail? 

We commend TSA Administrator Pistole’s efforts to date to limit privatization of 

security at additional airports and we oppose recent actions of this Congress to attempt to force the Administrator to allow more privatization. Federalizing airport 

screening has been a success, improving the security of air travel. Flight attendants 

and passengers are safer today because of it. Flight attendants are the last line of 

defense in aviation security. My colleagues and I depend on TSA workers to keep 

our jobs safe. We depend upon a regulated security system that meets the requirements of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 

(9/11 Commission Act), Public Law 110–53. 

Effective passenger and baggage screening is a vital part of our layered defense 

against terrorism in the skies. It is also a difficult job with massive responsibility. 

There is a growing drum beat demanding a return to the old system where security checkpoints were contracted out to the lowest bidder. To return to a bottomline driven system that puts security second to profits borders on reckless and is 

an unjustified regression from TSA’s successful mission to protect the skies. 

The flight attendants of this country act as first responders every day of the year 

and our lives depend on the integrity of each layer of security in the airport and 

on the aircraft. TSA must have the funding to give screeners the staffing, support 

and training they need to do their jobs to help keep our skies safe and secure. 
97 

SECURITY SCREENING

For more than 5 years AFA has pressed for alternative screening for flight attendants that would accurately reflect our credentials as pre-screened safety professionals. Our advocacy on alternative screening is all the more important and relevant as the TSA moves to implement risk-based passenger security screening. 

Flight attendants are subject to the same level of screening and background 

checks as pilots, with the exception of those pilots participating in the Federal 

Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program. Flight attendants are an integral part of the 

crew and the purpose of our jobs is to handle in-flight safety and security. Yet flight 

attendants are not included in the same alternative screening as our pilots. TSA has 

stated that a similar screening process is contemplated for flight attendants, but 

concrete dates or milestones to start this inclusion process have yet to be announced. 

The 9/11 Commission Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to implement an alternate security screening system for sterile area access control within 

commercial service airports. The system was to be used by all crewmembers. The 

subject is extremely relevant for today’s hearing. First, an alternate security screening process for crewmembers contributes to a more efficient travel experience as it 

reduces passenger-screening congestion. Second, the system recommended was included in a report that focused on creating a more secure aviation system. 

In May 2009, TSA announced a test program, CrewPASS at three airports. Participation at these airports was voluntary but plans to expand the system were underway until November 2010. New screening technologies, advanced imaging technology (AIT) scanning machines, were deployed in over 68 airport locations with 

TSA implemented enhanced screening procedures at security check points. Any person, who did not want to utilize the new AIT machines, and set off the alarm at 

a walk-through metal detector, would be subjected to an ‘‘enhanced’’ pat-down. 

The Thanksgiving weekend roll-out was done without consultation of the industry 

or aviation workers on the front lines of security. A Memphis pilot refused to submit 

to the new screening procedures and was subsequently denied access to his aircraft. 

Faced with a public outcry, TSA announced that pilots would be exempt from the 

new screening procedures and TSA would implement an expedited screening program based upon the CrewPASS test program, utilizing the Cockpit Access Security 

System (CASS) database. Since the CASS database was designed to verify the identity and employment status of pilots allowing them access to the jumpseats of airplanes belonging to companies other than their own—it was to be limited to pilots 

only. 

On November 19, 2010, AFA held a meeting with Administrator Pistole to discuss 

the concerns of our members about these procedures and to reiterate our call for 

TSA to implement CrewPASS that would provide flight attendants with a noninvasive method of screening. At this meeting TSA said that pilots and flight attendants would be subjected to the exact same screening procedures and the Administrator agreed to work with AFA on a range of security-related issues, including 

screening procedures. 

On August 11, 2011, TSA started another expedited alternate screening program 

similar to CrewPASS called Known Crewmember (KCM). TSA, working in cooperation with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Airlines for America (A4A), 

rolled out the program at a few U.S. airports and it was available for pilots from 

specific airlines only. Flight attendants, with the same background checks as their 

pilot crewmember counterparts, have not been included in the program. 

While TSA continues to consider when or if to include flight attendant participation in the Known Crewmember program, the agency has announced pilots from additional airlines are scheduled to be included in addition to implementing other alternative screening initiatives for frequent travelers and Active Duty 

servicemembers. AFA supports risk-based screening initiatives designed to make the 

screening process more convenient without sacrificing security. Flight attendants 

should be recognized for the work we do and for the service and safety we provide, 

and permitted to participate in alternative screening. In terms of supporting security, efficiency of the program and convenience for travelers currently sharing 

screening lines with flight attendants, TSA should move quickly to include all crewmembers in KCM. We encourage this subcommittee to request a report from TSA 

establishing milestones for including flight attendants in the program as mandated 

by the 9/11 Commission Act. 

Flight attendants are first responders and since 9/11 we have also taken on the 

role as the last line of defense for aviation security. Flight attendants routinely 

identify and manage threat levels, use our training to de-escalate threats, and provide direction to helper passengers to assist in restraining assailants. We are 
98 

1 Exclusions: any regulations established by the FAA or TSA should not apply to child safety 

seat nor a child passenger, assistive devices for disabled passengers, musical instruments, outer 

garments or to working crewmembers in uniform. 

charged with protecting the cockpit at all costs, including the loss of our own lives. 

Security doesn’t just happen; over 100,000 flight attendants working in U.S. aviation system fill our role to make sure our skies are safe. 

Flight attendants have access to the flight deck and we are subject to the same 

10-year background checks as pilots. Like pilots, we carry a certificate issued by the 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The 9/11 Commission Act provided direction 

that all crewmembers, flight attendants included, take part in expedited, alternate 

screening. Other stakeholders are in agreement: ALPA and A4A have both requested that the TSA expand the program to include flight attendants in the future. 

The time is now. Passengers are being invited to opt-in to expedited security 

screening programs simply because they log a certain number of miles on U.S. carriers. The Nation’s certified flight attendants, serving as the last line of defense, 

surely meet the requirements of the Known Crewmember program. 

CARRY-ON BAGGAGE LIMITATIONS

To improve efficiency and security during the screening process and during the 

boarding process, TSA should issue regulations that would set a standard limit on 

carry-on baggage permitted to pass through security checkpoints. TSA has introduced passengers to the concept of 3–1–1 regarding liquids, aerosols, and gels. That 

is, 3 ounces in a 1-quart clear plastic, zip-top bag; one bag per passenger placed in 

a screening bin and fit through a template on the X-ray conveyor belt. We call upon 

the TSA to add two numbers to this equation 1∂1: One bag, plus one personal 

item. 1

Reducing the size and number of carry-on bags would ultimately enhance security 

screening by reducing the number of bags that need to be screened at airport checkpoints. 

Current guidelines for carry-on bags were established more than two decades ago 

when air travel was much different than today. Each carrier had to have an individual program to control the weight, size, and number of carry-on bags. This created a maze of varying programs making it difficult and confusing for passengers. 

With the formation of global alliances and code share agreements individual program philosophies add to the confusion since alliance members sell seats on their 

partners’ routes. A ticket purchased from one carrier may be subject to the carryon bag rules of another. 

The concept of limiting the size, type, and amount of carry-on baggage in relation 

to improving security is nothing new and was recommended by the FAA Aviation 

Security Advisory Committee in 1996. Similarly, after 9/11, the FAA issued guidance to carriers to limit passengers to one carry-on bag and one personal bag (such 

as a purse or briefcase). This restriction is loosely enforced. 

AFA has filed two petitions for rulemaking requesting the FAA to enhance their 

carry-on baggage rule, citing incidents involving carry-on bags that range from disruption in the cabin, delays in boarding and deplaning, physical and verbal abuses 

toward flight attendants and passengers, and injuries and impediments to speedy 

evacuations. Despite these two requests for rulemaking the FAA has failed to establish a specific requirement regarding size and number of carry-on bags allowed. 

According to the Common Strategy security guidance, flight attendants are to observe passengers during the boarding process to watch for anything suspicious. 

Prior to takeoff, flight attendants can ask the captain to subject a suspicious passenger to additional security scrutiny. The ability of flight attendants to provide this 

critical final layer of pre-flight security is being severely hampered by the distraction created with carry-on baggage chaos. Frequent flyers see it almost every flight: 

flight attendants are forced to manage excessive numbers of oversized carry-on bags 

in limited overhead bin space and removing baggage that doesn’t fit. 

Limiting the size and number of carry-on baggage would create a uniform, enforceable rule across the industry, and enhance security in the process. It will allow 

for more efficient screening at the checkpoint and also improve the ability of flight 

attendants to more effectively observe passengers for possible security threats. The 

TSA could make travel more secure and convenient for passengers by issuing a 

standardized policy on carry-on bags and limiting the size and number of carry-on 

bags allowed to be screened at an airport check point. 

In conclusion, AFA believes there are areas where improvements could be made 

by the TSA to foster efficiency while enhancing security. Security must remain federalized through TSA, flight attendant inclusion in the Known Crewmember pro-
99 

gram should be expedited and the TSA should institute and enforce a standardized 

carry-on baggage policy. We look forward to continuing our working relationship 

with this subcommittee and the chairwoman to make progress on these important 

issues. And, we look forward to working with Administrator Pistole to implement 

these important changes. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Thank you, Ms. Nelson. And I really appreciate the airline industry that is represented here staying focused 

on the subject at hand and not diverting too much into this baggage charge issue. But I do want to raise this. With baggage charges anywhere from $25 to $50—I think it could even go up to $100 depending on—it is really dissuading people from putting their bags through the regular process and stuffing everything into extra large carry-ons which is slowing down the 

boarding process, as you heard, making it more difficult for the 

flight attendants to actually have eyes on the cabin with so much 

chaos. 

So I do not want to bring that up in too much detail, but I am 

going to follow up with some additional hearings on the whole baggage charge, et cetera, at the appropriate time. 

But let me ask the airports. Do not even mention TSA; do not 

mention the State Department; and do not mention Customs. I 

would like to know what the airports themselves are doing to improve the experience for travelers. I know your budgets are limited. 

Your capital budgets are limited. We took a long time to expedite 

the reauthorization of the Federal aviation bill. 

But what, Mr. Barclay, are airports doing themselves? Could you 

mention two or three specific things to improve the experience of 

travelers, maybe what one or two of your biggest concerns are or 

your frustrations? Either you do not have as much say-so over the 

airlines themselves or your working relationship with TSA at some 

places is not what it should be or Customs. Could you mention two 

specific things that are your doing and maybe two specific frustrations that airports are doing? 

Mr. BARCLAY. Right. The airports, as you know, are landlords. 

They are like the shopping center owner and then the direct line 

of interaction with the customer are the tenants, whether it is the 

airlines or the shops. TSA is a tenant at the checkpoint. But airports are owned by local governments and controlled by government entities headed by people who care mostly about their volunteers and they care about—if you serve on the board of an airport, 

what you care about is the passenger experience at that airport. 

So airports try to find ways. They hire ambassadors. As was 

mentioned earlier, often they will hire ambassadors with multiple 

language capabilities to help folks that may not speak English. 

They try to find ways to insert themselves where it is not interfering with the commerce of the direct relationship between a passenger and an airline or between someone trying to get vetted and 

TSA. So our role is to provide the facilities and provide comfortable 

enough facilities, but it is not the direct interface with the passenger. 

Senator LANDRIEU. I think this is a very interesting point and it 

may just be my perspective as a former local elected official just 

on behalf of my constituents. I think when somebody shows up to 

an airport, they actually think that the airport is in charge of 

something. Like they go to the Atlanta airport, they think that the 
100 

Atlanta airport is in charge of something. It is becoming apparent 

to me that the Atlanta airport is virtually in charge of nothing. 

And so the passengers wander from airline to airline with all different rules and regulations. TSA is in charge of this. You cannot 

get a glass of water because of this. 

I mean, I really think, getting back to what Mr. Hacker said, sort 

of an overall look, a look afresh, at the way that just a regular passenger views, that they are in this huge building that looks someone should be in charge, but no one is really in charge of the whole 

picture. It is either an airline issue or a TSA issue or a food service 

issue, et cetera, et cetera. And I think this should be an issue for 

mayors that are trying to promote their cities and for Governors 

that are all about creating jobs and opportunity. 

And I am going to do what I can as chair of this subcommittee 

to connect mayors, Governors, airports, and this large group because the bottom line is jobs and opportunity and economic vitality 

for this country. This is about business. This is the way business 

is done now. And I am not seeing as much progress on this as I 

would like to see. 

What is your one biggest frustration as an airport director? And 

let me ask you this. Do you ever give awards to airports that do 

a really good job of this just regularly? And who won your award 

last year? 

Mr. BARCLAY. We do not give out awards, but there are a number 

of awards aimed at trying to incentivize people to win the awards. 

We can get the subcommittee a list of some of those. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Get that list to me, if you would. 

[The information follows:] 

LETTER FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES

JANUARY 15, 2013. 

Hon. MARY LANDRIEU, 

Chairman, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR CHAIRMAN LANDRIEU: I am writing as a follow up to the March 21, 2012, 

subcommittee hearing on challenges for U.S. air travel and a question you posed to 

me during the hearing regarding airport customer service awards. As I noted to 

your initial inquiry, AAAE does not give out specific awards in this area, but there 

are other notable efforts aimed at fostering enhanced customer service at the Nation’s airports. 

Perhaps the most prominent of these is the J.D. Power and Associates North 

American Airport Satisfaction Study. The study, which has received wide-spread national and local media attention, provides an important measure of customer satisfaction with the passenger experience at individual airports, including accessibility; 

baggage claim; check-in/baggage check process; terminal facilities; security check; 

and food and retail services. The study has been helpful in showcasing successful 

customer service initiatives by airports and their airline and Government partners. 

It has also been helpful, frankly, in providing useful feedback on areas in which improvements are needed. 

As I tried to make clear in response to your questions and in my testimony before 

the subcommittee, airports as public entities view passenger convenience, safety, 

and security as their primary responsibilities and work diligently with their tenants 

and the Federal Government to make constant improvements in these areas. In addition to reviewing feedback from national surveys, many individual airports routinely query their passengers—both formally and informally—to assess where they 

are in terms of customer service so that improvements can be made when necessary. 

Airport executives share your concern about the challenges that exist at the Nation’s airports as all parties who operate at these facilities seek to find the right 

balance between security and convenience. There are clearly many areas in which 
101 

improvements can be made, and airport executives are committed to working with 

our Government and industry partners to achieve that goal. 

We sincerely appreciate the leadership role you have taken through your work on 

the subcommittee to highlight the importance of improving the experience of air 

travelers both domestically and internationally, and we look forward to working 

with you toward that end in the year ahead. 

Sincerely, 

CHARLES BARCLAY, 

President. 

Mr. BARCLAY. I mean, the frustration is often exactly what you 

are saying. Airports have a big job. Adding a fifth runway at Atlanta which affects the entire system because delays were rippling 

around the system, the politics and the difficulty and the cost of 

adding a multi-billion dollar, multi-year project was enormous. And 

that is the airport’s job, making sure those facilities are there. But 

it does not feel as fulfilling as it should if you have got a lot of mad 

passengers who are waiting too long in a security line somewhere 

and you are the local government official in charge of that airport. 

Senator LANDRIEU. And I would like to ask, while TSA is here, 

when Delta Airlines adds 10 more flights into an airport between 

the hours of 10 a.m. and 12 on a morning, how is that communicated to TSA and how quickly can they change their staffing assignments? Who wants to take that question? 

Mr. HENDRICKS. Madam Chairman, I would be happy to answer 

that. Thank you. 

I am a retired airline captain. I worked at Delta Airlines for 

many years. 

I can assure you that the station manager in Atlanta—his job is 

to run the experience for all of those Delta passengers in Atlanta, 

and he is very much engaged with his partners at the local airport 

authority, with the local TSA officials. And whenever the network 

changes, those communications take place at the local level because 

we have to make sure that we have got enough supporting capability to match the capacity that may be changing at that particular airport. 

So I am comfortable that United in Chicago, American in Dallas 

and Miami, Delta in Atlanta and Minneapolis—they are communicating very aggressively with their airport authorities and with 

local TSA agents and with CBP as well to ensure that the traveling 

experience is as good as it possibly can be because they want to reduce the amount of frustrations that our passengers have from 

when they walk in the door at the airport to when they exit the 

curb and go to their destination. 

Senator LANDRIEU. Mr. Hacker, you testified that flaws in our visa processing system are costing the U.S. convention industry $3 

billion in sales, 43,000 jobs, and $750 million in State and Federal 

taxes every year. Those are big numbers. You also made the comment that exhibition attendees are not shopping at outlet malls. 

They are shopping for heavy machinery, aerospace, automobile 

parts, advanced technology, and professional services. 

What are some of the highest profile global trade exhibitions that 

take place in the United States just to give a little bit more dimension to what we are trying to raise here? 

Mr. HACKER. Let me give you two illustrations. The first I think 

most of us are familiar with because of the intense media coverage 
102 

every January, and that is the international consumer electronics 

show in Las Vegas. This year it drew 150,000 attendees from literally all over the world. It is the principal trade event. And billions of dollars change hands at an event like that. 

I can tell you that about 40,000 buyers from overseas, principally 

from Asia, did not attend the event because they could not get 

visas. 

One of the points I was not able to make earlier was we really 

do need to adopt guidelines at the State Department that define 

what are the parameters for the approval or the denial of a visa 

application. We have ample evidence that many of those rejections 

are capricious, they are illogical, and they are unjustified. I would 

be happy to provide you with specific information about that. 

But it is incalculable when a delegation from India that wants 

to come to another major event like Conexpo-Con/Agg, the largest 

footprint, 2.8 million square feet of space every 3 years in the 

United States—this is where you would go to buy John Deere mining equipment, Caterpillar earth moving equipment. A delegation 

from India, 35 buyers, was rejected. So they went to Germany and 

they bought Polish tractors and earth moving gear. 

Now, the losses to John Deere and Caterpillar measure in the 

billions of dollars right there in that transaction alone, to say nothing of the jobs and the taxation that was lost. 

So this is such a frustrating decade that we have endured since 

9/11. And much credit to TSA, DHS, and the State Department. We 

have made progress, but not nearly enough. Not nearly enough. 

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senator LANDRIEU. I think that is a good place to close this hearing. 

I am going to carefully review this testimony. It will stay open 

for 1 week for any additional submissions. 

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but were 

submitted to the nondepartmental witnesses for response subsequent to the hearing:] 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO ROGER S. DOW

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

Question. Mr. Dow, now that the President has issued an Executive order on travel and tourism and the State Department has instituted needed reforms, is there 

still a need for legislation to improve the visa process? 

Answer. The President’s Executive order was an enormous step forward toward 

encouraging overseas travel to the United States. The administrative directives to 

re-deploy consular personnel more strategically and to reduce wait times in key 

markets will address the inefficiencies that currently serve as a self-imposed barrier 

to international travelers to the United States for both business and leisure. These 

steps will certainly help alleviate the unproductive delay and confusion in the visa 

application process that undermine our competitiveness in the international travel 

marketplace. But this progress will be illusory if we cannot sustain it over the long 

term. The only way to ensure such structural change is to codify these welcome reforms in statute. In particular, we urge Senators to support S. 2233, the JOLT Act. 

Question. Mr. Dow, would you elaborate on why Brazil, China, and India are such 

important travel markets for the United States? Why should we focus on them right 

now? 

Answer. When it comes to attracting visitors from these dynamic markets, the 

United States lags behind our international competitors, especially in Western Europe. 
103 

Between 2000 and 2010, the number of long-haul arrivals to the United States 

from Brazil, China, and India rose by about 1.4 million. During that same period, 

arrivals increased by more than 3 million to Western Europe. In 2010, the United 

States welcomed just 2.6 million travelers from these countries, while more than 6 

million Brazilian, Chinese, and Indian travelers visited Western Europe. 

In 2010, the United States claimed 29 percent of the Brazilian long-haul market, 

compared to 51 percent for Western Europe. For China, the United States held just 

13 percent of the market, a third of Western Europe’s share. And in India, only 11 

percent of long-haul outbound travel comes to the United States, compared to more 

than 26 percent for Western Europe. 

In order to compete effectively in the global travel market, the United States must 

set a national goal of keeping pace with our competitors in Western Europe and 

matching their current market share in attracting visitors from Brazil, China, and 

India by 2015. 

Question. Mr. Dow, you have recommended that the State Department pilot the 

use of visa videoconferencing to conduct visa interviews remotely. Why is there a 

need for this and do you know of a concern about security in carrying it out? 

Answer. For millions of overseas tourists and business travelers seeking admission to the United States, the lack of accessibility to our consular offices is a significant disincentive to even applying for a visa. In critical travel markets like China, 

India, and Brazil, visa applicants who do not live in a city with a U.S. consulate, 

are forced to travel—at times—thousands of miles, at great expense and inconvenience, for the required personal interview that lasts less than 5 minutes. We could 

remove this obstacle by authorizing the use of secure remote videoconference technology for applicant interviews. This technology, used routinely for secure communication by nearly every Federal agency including the State Department, would 

streamline the process without in any way compromising security. Indeed, the fact 

that the videotaped interview could be reviewed later could actually enhance security. It is important to note that any applicant whose videotaped interview yielded 

increased suspicion could still be required to appear in person. For the vast majority 

of interviews that proceed successfully, this technology would encourage more applicants for legitimate business and leisure travel to the United States; minimize the 

daunting expense and logistics of travel to the ‘‘nearest’’ consulate; economize on the 

time of consular officials; and, most important, help restore the competitiveness of 

the United States in the global travel market. 

Question. Mr. Dow, if the visa reforms that are being implemented help to drive 

up international travel, what impact will that have on U.S. airports? 

Answer. As international travel to the United States grows through much needed 

visa reforms, the flow of traffic through U.S. airports will significantly increase. 

This will impact all phases of airport operations but could have serious impacts particularly on the entry process. Several U.S. airports are already facing long wait 

times at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) primary inspection areas, of up 

to 3 hours, as a result of inadequate officer staffing and non-optimal officer schedule 

management. The U.S. Travel Association supports entry reforms that will reduce 

primary inspection wait times and better facilitate the increased flow of passengers 

through immigration processing. 

U.S. Travel supports the adoption of a 20-minute baseline standard for the clearance of each international arriving passenger in the primary inspection area. We believe this will require CBP to develop and implement an automated staffing model 

to maximize CBP limited resources. In addition, it is likely that new personnel will 

be needed. In order to determine the appropriate staffing levels, we encourage CBP 

to share the findings of its recent Workload Staffing Model report with the Committee and for the subcommittee to include adequate funding in the fiscal year 2013 

DHS Appropriations bill to fund our Nation’s international airports appropriately. 

We also encourage CBP to expand the use of technology in passenger processing 

to enhance security and free up valuable officer resources to focus on the most critical threats. CBP should increase the number of nations participating in the Global 

Entry program starting with South Korea, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, 

and Singapore. In addition, we urge CBP to implement a more user-friendly application process through a simplified online application and additional interview locations in order to conduct applicant interviews within 6 weeks of conditional approval. 

In the current budgetary environment, we strongly believe that any funds acquired through the taxation of travelers should be reinvested to enhance travel facilitation. As a result, it is only fitting that the additional funding of $110 million 

resulting from the elimination of the COBRA fee exemption for Canadian, Mexican, 

and Caribbean travelers should be used for passenger facilitation operations at air 

and sea ports of entry. 
104 

Question. In your testimony, you state that travelers would take two to three 

more trips per year if security hassles were improved. Besides the airlines, what 

other businesses are impacted by the inefficient screening process? Do all U.S. Travel Association members see this as a problem? 

Answer. For the travel community—which supports rural and urban communities 

alike—inefficiencies in the aviation security screening process impose a staggering 

cost on all types of businesses. 

A 2008 survey of air travelers who took one or more flights in the previous year 

found that one in four respondents (28 percent) avoided at least one trip because 

of the hassles of air travel, which include aviation congestion and passenger screening. That loss of travel translates into a $26.5 billion loss to the U.S. economy, including $9.4 billion to airlines, $5.6 billion to hotels, $3.1 billion to restaurants and 

$4.2 billion in Federal, State, and local tax revenue. These types of economic losses 

also trickle out to food suppliers, retail businesses, car rental and bus companies, 

and travel agents, just to name a few. 

U.S. Travel members from all subsectors of the travel industry identify the inefficient screening process as a problem. From convention planners, to travel agents, 

to attractions and more, U.S. Travel members frequently express frustrations that 

their customers are deterred from traveling because of the hassles in security 

screening. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO CHARLES M. BARCLAY

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

Question. Could you walk us through the role you think airports can play in facilitating the expansion of TSA’s PreCheck (Pre✓TM) program? 

Answer. Airports have long recognized the potential value of trusted traveler programs in terms of enhanced security and efficiency and are eager to partner with 

TSA to facilitate expansion of the Pre✓TM program to additional airports and populations—something that is absolutely critical if the program is to achieve its full 

promise. 

Airports serve as local partners to the TSA with a common mission of providing 

the highest levels of security for the traveling public. For more than a decade, airports have worked directly and collaboratively with TSA and understand fully Federal requirements and agency security imperatives. Airports support the Federal security mission while ensuring that the needs of airport tenants and the traveling 

public in the communities they serve are also well understood and attended to. Airports, in other words, are uniquely situated to ensure that Pre✓TM and other trusted 

traveler approaches are undertaken in a way that best meets the needs of all interested parties. 

Moving forward, airport executives believe the Pre✓TM program must be expanded 

to accommodate as many additional, qualified travelers as possible through a community based, airport-centric approach that allows vastly larger populations of travelers to enroll and participate in Pre✓TM on an airport-by-airport basis and become 

trusted through Government-approved vetting protocols. While airline-based programs and Global Entry—the only current avenues for enrolling qualified participants—are a good start, additional efforts will be needed to accommodate a broader 

range of qualified travelers. 

Specifically, airports can play an active role in the enrollment of individuals into 

Pre✓TM, Global Entry, and other trusted traveler programs. All commercial service 

airports have an established process in place for collecting and submitting to the 

Federal Government biographic and biometric information for employees at airports 

who are required to undergo mandated criminal history and security threat assessment background checks. This process could be expanded to accommodate enrollment in Pre✓TM and other trusted traveler programs. We also believe there are 

other viable solutions to gathering the information required by the Government for 

program participation. 

AAAE has played an active role in the collection of biographic and biometric information for aviation workers subject to Government background checks for more 

than a decade, and its Transportation Security Clearinghouse has successfully processed nearly 10 million background check records during that time. The association 

and the airport community stand ready to do even more to leverage this experience 

and expertise to quickly and effectively move today’s largely airline-centric program 

in operation at merely a handful of airports to one that is operational for large numbers of travelers at airport facilities across the country. 
105 

In our view, the experiences with the Registered Traveler (RT) program offer an 

important roadmap on how to proceed. As you may recall, 250,000 people were enrolled in RT in a relatively short time and the program quickly became operational 

and interoperable at 22 airports across the country. Although the initial business 

model with Registered Traveler ultimately proved unsustainable, the effort was incredibly successful operationally and should serve as a model for moving forward 

to grow the Pre✓TM program efficiently and effectively utilizing airport knowledge 

and expertise. 

Question. TSA plans to have Pre✓TM security lanes at 35 airports by the end of 

2012. Do you have concerns that wait times for non Pre✓TM security lanes will increase? 

Answer. Airports are very concerned about the potential for growing wait times 

in non-Pre✓TM security lanes and believe that every effort must be made to implement a community-based, airport-centric approach to ensure that adequate numbers 

of eligible individuals participate in the Pre✓TM program. 

For the TSA Pre✓TM program to be a viable, long-term solution to increasing efficiency and security at airport checkpoints, it must grow quickly to include populations beyond elite frequent fliers, Global Entry program participants, and other select groups. With TSA contemplating the dedication of both staffing and screening 

lanes to the program, a failure to enroll a sufficient number of participants could 

result in the underutilization of scarce TSA screening resources and exacerbate wait 

times at lanes available to non-participating travelers—a result that the traveling 

public will absolutely not accept. 

Participation in the Pre✓TM program must grow significantly beyond where it is 

in its early stages to be successful, and airport executives are eager to play an active 

role in accomplishing that critical objective. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO THOMAS L. HENDRICKS

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

Question. Outside of expanding PreCheck (Pre✓TM), what else can DHS do in the 

near-term to make air travel more convenient for passengers? 

Answer. As Airlines for America (A4A) noted in its testimony, our members that 

carry passengers internationally are increasingly concerned about the adequacy of 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staffing at U.S. airports of entry. The first 

and often most durable memory a visitor to the United States has is her or his experience in being processed upon arrival. If we are to encourage travel and tourism 

to our country, therefore, Congress must assure that there are sufficient CBP personnel to promptly handle air passengers. International travel and tourism is an extraordinarily competitive sector and it is becoming more so. The United States cannot afford to be saddled with the reputation of delaying visitors at our gateway airports. Because of that, one thing that the Department of Homeland Security should 

not do is divert CBP personnel from U.S. airports of entry, which are already 

stretched, to either land border crossings or new overseas preclearance facilities. 

With respect to processing of passengers at U.S. airport security checkpoints, we 

believe that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should continue to 

expand its Pre✓TM program. There is sufficient experience with the program that 

it has been successful in four essential respects: 

—Applicants for participation in the program can be vetted thoroughly and consistent with security protocols before TSA accepts them; 

—TSA’s finite checkpoint resources are focused on other passengers; 

—Overall passenger processing at the checkpoint is improved and therefore more 

convenient for our customers; and 

—There is widespread belief that the program is a significant improvement to the 

travel experience by those passengers who have enrolled in it. 

Question. Are you confident in the long-term viability of Pre✓TM, TSA’s risk-based 

screening program? 

Answer. TSA has stated that Pre✓TM is a key component of the agency’s intelligence-driven, risk-based approach to security. We believe that the Government has 

accumulated a great deal of both experience and intelligence information that enable it to pursue with confidence widely available, risk-based security programs 

such as Pre✓TM and Known Crewmember. We also believe that it has demonstrated 

a firm commitment to do so. Over the last decade, an extraordinary amount of our 

Nation’s intelligence and security resources have been directed to identifying, evaluating, and countering threats to national security in general and civil aviation security in particular. Leveraging that know-how to better focus TSA resources is both 
106 

1This event occurs every 3 years and is the largest exhibition in the United States. 

responsible and sensible. This approach is responsible because it does not compromise civil aviation security. It is sensible because it enables TSA to concentrate 

its limited resources where they are most needed and improves the experience of 

passengers because security checkpoints can function more efficiently by diverting 

fully vetted passengers from one-size-fits-all security measures. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO STEVEN HACKER

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

Question. What are some of the highest profile global trade exhibitions in the 

United States? 

Answer. Here is a short list of some of the most important high-profile global 

trade exhibitions that take place in the United States, not in any particular order: 

—CONEXPO–CON/AGG 2014, March 4–8, 2014; 1

—International CES, January 8–11, 2013; 

—National Plastics Expo 2012, April 2–5, 2012; 

—National Wood Flooring Expo, April 10–12, 2012; 

—Lightfair International, May 9–11, 2012; 

—Indigo New York, April 10–11, 2012; 

—Texworld USA Summer, July 24–25, 2012; 

—FOSE Conference and Exhibition, April 3–5, 2012; 

—INFOComm 2012, June 9–15, 2012; 

—NAB Show, April 14–17, 2012; 

—National Hardware Show, May 1–3, 2012; 

—National Association of Convenience Stores, October 7–10, 2012; 

—SEMA Show, Oct 30–November 2, 2012; 

—Waste Expo, April 30–May 3, 2012; and 

—Interop Las Vegas, May 6–10, 2012. 

Question. Is the United States at risk of losing any of these events to foreign convention destinations as a result of business travelers’ difficulty in obtaining visas 

to this country? 

Answer. Without inside knowledge it is impossible to know if any of the events 

listed are at risk of being replaced by foreign competition. Frankly, it is not likely 

though because most of these events have a very solid core of domestic U.S. exhibitors and attendees (buyers). What is known is that events that depend upon buyers 

and/or sellers from abroad are being negatively affected because many of their international attendees and exhibitors have been unable to secure U.S. visas on a timely 

basis or at all. In each instance, there are competing events taking place abroad. 

Those events are beneficiaries of our visa issuance difficulties as many buyers or 

sellers who cannot access the U.S. markets can usually attend events abroad with 

little inconvenience. 

Question. Has the Department of State made any concerted efforts to expedite 

processing for the unique brand of business travelers and company representatives 

who attend professional exhibitions and conventions? 

Answer. No, actually it is quite to the contrary. Not only have focused efforts on 

the most important U.S. events not taken place but it has become substantially 

more difficult for U.S. organizers to establish communications with consular officials 

abroad and to secure any meaningful support from them for more efficient visa 

issuance. 

For example, in the past savvy U.S. organizers would prepare briefing files of 

their events for the use of local consular officials. Many of our members would periodically visit key embassies and consular offices in nations like China and India specifically to establish and maintain relationships with visa officials. That practice is 

now discouraged and in some cases prohibited, ostensibly because consular officials 

do not have time to meet with organizers. This has been a setback in our efforts 

to assist member organizers to familiarize Department of State personnel abroad 

about the nature of their events and who are the likeliest audiences to attend them. 

It is a classic case of attending to the urgent and not the more important issues 

which are likelier to provide broader and more long-lasting solutions. It is, in other 

words, poor management. 

Question. Regarding the example you mentioned during your testimony about the 

trade delegation from India deciding to go elsewhere to purchase heavy equipment, 

please provide greater detail. When were they denied their visas? Have you spoken 
107 

with them and did they provide you the reason they were given for their visas being 

denied? 

Answer. Attached to this response you will find a series of documents (exhibits 

A–E) that provide more specific information about individuals and delegations from 

India and China who have recently encountered visa issuance difficulties that prevented their participation in U.S.-based exhibitions. 

What is not recorded is the broad anecdotal evidence that U.S. exhibition organizers come across routinely. An example is the U.S. consular office in Delhi where 

the organizer of one of our most important global exhibitions was told by a consular 

official ‘‘if a visa application crosses my desk and the applicant is from the Punjab 

region (Delhi and surrounding environs) I do not even look at it.’’ The stunned organizer was then informed by that consular official that it is his opinion that any visa 

applicants from the Punjab region wish only to immigrate illegally to the United 

States—this despite the fact that many of the applicants are owners of large and 

profitable farms who wish to come to U.S. exhibitions to purchase farm equipment. 

I should also point out to you that in exhibit E slide No. 8 contains data in chart 

form that seems to corroborate the allegation that there is strong bias among Department of State officials against issuing visas to applicants originating in the Punjab region. This slide presentation was prepared by NASSCOM a highly respected 

Indian Trade Organization. 

In conclusion, permit me to add that the evidence that is now in your possession 

strongly suggests that our recommendations before the subcommittee for the establishment of a new visa commission coupled with the adoption of uniform guidelines 

to define more specifically when visas should or should not be issued are warranted 

if we are to bring some order to the manner in which U.S. visas are processed. 

Please feel free to contact me if I can provide further information on these or 

other questions that bear upon matters before the subcommittee, and thank you 

again for the opportunity to share our members’ concerns with the chair and members. 

[Exhibits A–E follow:] 

EXHIBIT A 1

Name of the company Name of the person City Reason for rejection Date of consulate rejection 

Alwasay Impex Pvt.ltd. ....................... Mr. Syed Hatim Rustom .. Mumbai .. Visa rejection letter 

attached in the 

email—U.S. 

Consulate in 

Mumbai.

6–Jul–11 

M/s. Magnum International ................ Mr. Mayur Agarwal .......... Kolkata ... Frequently visiting 

Middle East 

countries for 

business—U.S. 

Consulate in 

Kolkata.

First week of June 

1 Excerpts from an Excel spreadsheet providing names and circumstances regarding two individuals from India who were rejected in 2011. 
108 

EXHIBIT C 

This is an email message from March 16, 2012, from Megan Tanel reporting the 

rejection of an eight-person delegation from Vietnam. Every attendee was a president or vice president of their company. 

From: Megan Tanel 

Sent: Friday, March 16, 2012, 11:20 a.m. 

To: Hacker, Steven 

Subject: RE: Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Hearing 

on Wednesday, March 21 

Here’s our latest issue with this—a delegation of eight from Vietnam were all denied Visa’s for our World of Asphalt show in Charlotte this week. Every attendee 
109 

was a president or VP of their company. We’re asking for more details as to why 

they were denied and working through our DC office. 

MEGAN TANEL, 

CEM, AEM. 

EXHIBIT D 

This includes two email messages from the ‘‘IAEE’’ Beijing office regarding recent 

Visa issues for Chinese nationals. 

To: Richard Craig 

From: Edward Liu 

Subject: Visa Appointments and Rejection 

Dear Richard, 

Greetings again from IAEE and my company, CEMS Beijing Offices. As I did not 

receive your call for a meeting with the consular office this afternoon, I assumed 

that the visa officers and your good self were extremely busy and were not available 

for a discussion. For guidance, I would be returning to Beijing on 14 June for about 

2 weeks, and would appreciate it if you could help facilitate a meeting during that 

period. 

In the meantime, I would like to bring to your attention some of the problems 

being faced by our principals, viz the World Shoes Association (WSA) and the National Restaurants Association (NRA) and our authorised sales agencies marketing 

their two exhibitions in China. 

Firstly, I just had a meeting with an official of the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) this morning and was informed that some of the visa appointments 

are being fixed in August and even in September. This would affect the WSA Show 

which takes place in Las Vegas from 9–11 August 2010. According to the CLIA official, he had wanted to recruit another 22 exhibitors but they were unable to secure 

visa appointments in time for the show in LV in August. At the moment, we have 

already contracted some 239 booths at the WSA Show, and I am concerned that 

some of the exhibitors might have problems with their visa application in due 

course. 

Similarly, there were also a couple of rejections for our 45 exhibitors for the NRA 

Show which opens in Chicago from tomorrow till 25 May. Overall, the rejection of 

visa applications has caused problems for the organisers, sales agencies and the exhibitors. 

For the organisers, to recruit new exhibitors to fill the vacated booths would be 

extremely difficult. This would disrupt their overall planning and layout of the exhibition booths. For the sales agencies, the rejection of visas for the exhibitors would 

mean that their marketing efforts would have been in vain. It would demoralise 

them in their marketing efforts for the organisers. And for the exhibitors, their deposits would have been forfeited by the organisers. The exhibitors would have wasted all their efforts in making preparation for the exhibition, including freighting of 

goods and possibly the construction of exhibit stands etc., thus making their intended participation a very costly affair. And the rejection of their visa applications 

was probably no fault of theirs! 

As mentioned recently, this lengthy visa interview process, the rejection of applications etc, is causing harm and damage to the American exhibition industry as a 

lot more genuine Chinese companies and exhibitors could have taken part in trade 

shows in the United States. This has also caused a lot of unhappiness amongst the 

Chinese associations and exhibitors, who are really keen to do business in the U.S. 

Thus, on behalf of IAEE and our principals, I would like to seek a meeting or dialogue with your colleagues from the consular section, to better understand their requirements and to appeal for their understanding and assistance in handling some 

of the more established shows in the United States. If convenient, I would like to 

invite a few Chinese associations and sales agencies for this meeting. If not, I would 

be happy to meet with them with my own staff only. 

I look forward to your kind assistance in arranging a suitable meeting with your 

colleagues from the consular section in the week of 14 June at a date convenient 

to them. 

Sincerely, 

EDWARD LIU, 

Chief Representative, IAEE China Office. 

Group Managing Director, Conference & Exhibition Management Services, CEMS 

Beijing Office. 
110 

Ms. Rosemary Gallant, 

Principal Commercial Officer, 

American Embassy, Beijing, China. 

Dear Ms Gallant, 

First of all, warmest greetings from IAEE China Office in Beijing. It has been a 

few months since we last met at your office in Beijing. 

You may recall that we had discussed the problems of visa applications by Chinese executives and managers going to the United States, to take part in various 

trade shows and exhibitions. In particular, I had raised the problems being faced 

by Mr. Yang Ming of Ximaike International Exhibition Company, a member of our 

IAEE in China. 

I had just met up with Mr. Yang Ming in Beijing last week and he has subsequently sent me the email below, to seek my assistance again. I would be grateful 

if your office could look into his case, and help solve his problems of visiting the 

United States, to take part in U.S. trade shows. 

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. 

Sincerely, 

EDWARD LIU, 

PBM, Chief Representative, IAEE China Office. 

From: Yang Ming, 

Sent: Friday, 11 November, 2011, 8:55 a.m. 

To: Edward Liu 

Subject: Visa problem 

Dear Mr. Edward Liu: 

I write this letter to you in order to get your assistance to solve my visa problem 

of American. 

Mr. Yang Ming, with passport number P01410407 and birth date Feb. 5th, 1972, 

is the vice general manager in XIMAIKE International Exhibition Co., Ltd being 

focus on organizing Chinese enterprises to attend international exhibitions. 

Yang Ming’s first time to United States of America was in 1998 and attended 

IMTS (now named National Design & Manufacturing Midwest) with Passport Number P3359527. During that applying visa period, a managing operator wrote May 

1st, 1972 as his birth date by a mistake which caused the visa refusal in 2002 IFPE 

(International Exposition for Power Transmission). 

The forthcoming birth date in visa applying is correct. Then, Mr. Yang Ming went 

to America in 2005, 2008 many times to participate IFPE (International Exposition 

for Power Transmission) and Auto Parts. 

From 2009 when he submitted the visa applying to issue, it was informed that 

he has to wait for the further information or long-time unknown investigation. 

Sometimes, it is up to 7 months. The above makes the delaying to attend the exhibitions or the international flights tickets costs as well as the difficulties of the organizing work. The more about Mr. Yang, he will explain to the officer in the visa section of United States of America in Beijing. As a result, he will repeat all mentioned 

formalities each time in visa applying. 

I has got an U.S. visa issued under the assist of IAEE with single entry this year. 

When I came back from America and continued to go further for renewing visa 

based on Auto Parts exhibition which goes without any result until now. The exhibition is closed now. 

I don’t have any relatives of my family members in USA, I have good and stable 

job in China. 

Because XIMAIKE organizes more than 20 exhibitions in USA every year, we sincerely hope the visa applying for Mr. Yang Ming can go smooth which will ensure 

the exhibition organizing successfully. 

It is highly appreciated for your reply. 

MR. YANG MING, 

XI MAI KE International Exhibition Co., LTD. 
111 

EXHIBIT E: Power Point preuntation prepared by NASSCOM. a hlgl\ly rqarded Indian TradeOrpnlution. 

Please dirKtyour attention 10 ~idei 117 through 1112. Theie slides focus on current U.S. Vis,) Is,u.ar.ce 

challenges In Indl, 

i i 

recoverv of the Global economy 

European CnSIS 

• Tt-. .. Ik ..... 1Im.<! from 'RI.k of ~,ull' to 'o.mlM of EUfO' 

• Fln,~I, . m,rtett jlmry; _ ... ion In EU, 'or.gone conclu.ion. US lNy follow 

Heightening globallnllatlonary pressure 

• Food Inflation, high crude prie .. , _ring production co.t., volatile commodltln prien 

• High In ..... 1 r.'" In .... Emerging Konornles 

• Mol' countrln I'HIlng u_ ~.ry high fiscal deficit. 

• Economies finding II h.lrd 10 .... taln grOWill and c .... new jobt 

POSSi ble ContagIOn may not be limited to Western world 

, USC Rlrolly m,klng In difficult for othe. economl .. 

• E_pOrt depenMn' economies .ffected 

• Chi ..... Konorny'. h,rd I.ndlng could be. _Iibility; ... I .. ta. bu" 

,'-, In this situation, embracing a protectioniat stance may actually worsen 

the situation and further delay the recovery 
112 

Meeting new customer needs beyond cost 

efficiency 

CLIENT INITIATIVES 

P.ocess and Business model 

onno~atoon 

Developing new technologIes 

Global E.panslo" 

I"novallon for eme.glng 

ma.kCls 

Inc.eased R&D spend and IP 

c.eatlon 

''-'' 

PARTNER RESPONSES 

India has built global leadership, industry 

reaching USD 88 bn revenues 

1T·8PO revenues 

IUSD 8nl _ .... 

2010·11 

''-'' 

Expons (USD 8n) ~---------------, 

S9.0 8n 

FY2011 I 

-80% of Fortune 500 companies and 

20 of world's largest banks are 

clients 

-70% share in global Knowledge 

services outsourcing industry 

- 6% share in ndia's GOP and 14% In 

total exports 

- 520+ global delivery centers 
113 

Unemployment? - Tech sector in the US 

is doing Great, contrary to the perception 

Job lou! _Ion. ~rOJI S«t0l"l ~'11 (in K's) 

.~ 

Con5tnK:tion " _ 'II/ 

" 

'''-'' 

n. US Nabooal 

I.memploymenl 

Computer ". and 

mathematICal 

oc:cupaliOlls 

Contribution of the Indian IT industry to 

the US economy 

Employment 

Aug Aug 

2010 2011 

9.5% 9.1% 

43. 3.'" 

s..m.,_, ..... _ 

Industry employees more than lOOK employees (2011) in the US up 

from about20K (2006), CAGR of 35% for 5 years 

Industry employees more than 25K (2011) US Nationals in the US 

compared from 750 (2006), CAGR of 99% for 5 years 

Taxes 

Industry contributes close to 500Mn each year by way of taxes (Federal 

and State taxes) 

Industry contributed more than $1 Bn each year towards US Social 

security system 

Campus Hiring 

Indian companies have slarted attracling students at American 

universities, 

o In the last three years, some of the top Indian companies have visited more 

,,,-,, than 450 colleges in the Unrt.ed States and have made more than 1,100 jOQ 

offers 
114 

Inspite of doing right things industry is 

targeted in the US 

Visa rejections IS a Non-tanff barrier (NTB) 

Approach of US agencies suggests concerted strategy 

Applicants from India being singled out? 

L 1 centralization at Chennal will add on further costs 

All efforts to find solutlon(s) have been blocked 

This Issue takes toll on growth of India US relationship 

Legislations and regulatory changes 

Ohio order to curb offshoring (Aug 2010) 

Border Security Bill (Aug 2010): 

The bill nearly doubles H-l Band L visa fees, to as high as $4,500 per 

applicant 

Typically all Indian companies leveraging Indian talent impacted. 

James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (Dec 

2010): 

o 

o 

purchased 

The 

The 

9111 

Act also 

Act 

by 

imposes 

extends 

foreign supplier 

the 

2% 

duration 

percent 

(such 

excise 

of 

as 

SSB 

India) 

tax 

from 

on 

4 

goods 

years 

and 

to 5 

service 

years ~ 

~ 0° • 

Centralisation of L visa. In Chennel will edd further costs tor the 

companies (Nov 2011) 

• From 1st Dec, 2011 interview of all appliCations lot l1 visas will held in 

Chennai. 

~, =::pants from across India will halle to undertake travel !of the 
115 

Visa rejections update 

While no visa laws have been officially changed the visa rejections 

have increased drastically 

Even during period of sustained dialogue the situation has gone 

from bad to worse, Rejection rate still hovers around 40% or so 

Even at USCIS level unreasonable RFE's leading to only 20% 

acceptance 

Increased rejection rates seen across 

o All consulates 

o Visa categories (L and B stand out) 

o Across Indian, MNC and Captive compan;es 

Off late newer issues - salary levels for 81, terming "fraud" for what 

was earlier permitted, etc. are being touted as arguments 

Applicants from India being singled out? 

o China, Vietnam, Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, none have th;s problem 

Visa rejection rate has constantly been 

going up across categories and missions 

.,. 

_ 04'CY10 _ OI'CYll 02'CYll _ 03·eYll 

Average rejection rate across all visa categories • 
116 

Visa rejections for 81 & L 1 the highest, 

last quarter the worst 

Visa rejections across catevorles 

AVj rejection rate across visa 

catevorles 

(ellcept HI) 

u..c 1 Y' Avg 03 

There has been constant effort 

to muddle data 

Press releases have been 

misleading 

Statements such as "India gets 

more than 50% of the visas" 

confuses audiences 

... .._, ,,~ ., ... Statements like "no rejections in 

the H1-B visas" selectively 

correct because RFE's exists 

----

Continuously engaged in finding solutions and have proposed 

several solutions 

At US Counselors behest we conducted the survey (Feb'11) 

reporting: 

o Majority of respondents said no the centralisation suggestion by the 

Embassy 

We have organized several consultation workshops for US 

Counsellor Affairs with our members 

But the arguments keep shifting (Training duration, KT, don't come 

back, poison letters, fraud & misuse ... ) 

We submitted detailed parameter list (in May'11) to help define 

'Specialised Knowledge' but till date Embassy is silent on the 

feedback 

Key parameters of suggestions made (L 1 visa) are on the follOWing 

.. _,~Iide »> 

.. 

" 
117 

NASSCOM proposal to US Counselor on 

specialized knowledge for L 1 visas 

Compultt S<:~nc. IhIckliround Non-Compuho. Sc.lenu 

" lbili , ...... BRkg.ounc! 

IIacheIo:n 0< equlva~ in computer ~ Bac:heIono Of equivalent in non- stream (viz. B E.I B Tech in Computer Science I oon,.I".,. sOence '1fe<ImI Electronies Engineering I Electronics _ 

Minimum Edue.lIoM) Cormu1icIItion Iintornunion Technology I MeA 

any _ qUIIlibtion in the arM of In\QrrnetJon Qulliflc.tIon IIICIInoIogy I o;ompu1er tcienon) 

Minimum of 2. monttls of lola WO!II; expefien<:e M",mum 01 36 morrths 

Minimum T~I Won. {~ng 12 rnon1IIaof""""""~wiIh (~ng 12 monltlaoiWOll< 

pteSen1 employer outaide US) ,, perie<lce with Pf_ E_PMMnc' employer outsidoe US) 

Documentetion /ur'ldertlomg of I minimum of 30 Doo:::urnenrlItoon iuno:\eltal<W'lg 01 

deys (cumulative) of cllluroom '.lumong I 01 " rrlnimum 01 90 days 

Minimum Tr.lnlng equivalent on tile job training tor 8. r.ew (non- (cumulrive) of dawoom ,. 

IIIlera1lhire\l leeming I or equivalent on the 

job IraIning tor ... !leW (nonlatllflll hn. 

Minimum $SO,OOO per 8mum $50,000 per ,Mum .. ComPfil .. tIon 

us has signed more than 20 Totalisation agreements all with 

developed nations 

India also has successfully negotiated similar treaties with 

developed nations viz. Germany, France, Netherlands, Japan, 

Canada, Aus, Belgium .. 

Why India and the US can have agreement in this space with 

common group countries but not amongst themselves? 

Estimates suggest Indian workers contribute more than $1 Beach 

year without receiving any benefits 

Need for immediate resolution of this problem 
118 

Indian companies have seen enactment 

and non-tariff barriers in the US, whereas .. 

US Compames In IndIa 

(In Govt! PSU vertical) 

Indian compames In the US 

(Federal! State Govt vertical) 

UIDAI Aadhar: 2 year contract 

awarded to US company to 

implement multimodal biometric 

solution for UIDAI 

Have made significant 

investments into the US 

Face stringent norms to be 

classified as Govt supplier with 

long qualification cycles Department of Posts: Contract to 

US company, Modernizing IT 

infrastructure, transition to a more 

efficient system 

Have seen slew of tariff and 

NTB's: 

Bank of India, Bank of Baroda: o Ohio banning offshoring of IT 

Technology enabled business projects 

transformation project· 

implementation of an enterprise 

wide SoA 

o 2% percent excise lax on 

goods and service purchased 

by foreign supplier(9/11 bill) 

,,-,, 

" 

• DiscriminatIOn Qllainst Indians should stop 

• 'MIile Industry supports action on visa misuse and fTaud 

• Actions taken by the agency should not be back door protectionism 

• Most other oountrilts (UK, Germany, Fraoce, Japan, India .. ) offer such 

vi5as 

• EU is wooong on short term work vi5a to cover entire EU tellitory 

• Cap- lottery system of allotting H·I B visas 

• leads to excessIVe applications being ~Ied 

• Companies need to predict their demand for vi5as 1.5 yrs in advaoce 

is r.ot an option • leads to some visas being 

• US Congress and SSA need to take into a.ccount that developing 

countnes and Indlil In particular will treat social security from a different 

perspective 

• Exoeptions need to be made and an administration level push is required 
119 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO SARA NELSON

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

KNOWN CREWMEMBER PROGRAM

Question. TSA’s Known Crewmember initiative allows pilots to forego regular 

screening procedures if they show two forms of verifiable ID, but flight attendants 

are not eligible to participate in the program. 

Can you explain the background checks that flight attendants typically undergo 

as part of the hiring process and your association’s perspective on this policy? 

Answer. TSA regulations require flight attendants to undergo a 10-year criminal 

history records check and an employment history investigation as a condition of employment. Pilots are subject to the same regulation. The regulations are designed 

to ensure the trustworthiness of each flight attendant and pilot to serve as crewmembers responsible for the safety and security of every flight and they are effective. For this reason, the U.S. airline industry and all crewmember unions advocate 

inclusion of flight attendants in the Known Crewmember program. 

Question. With airline pilots, TSA has the ability to access a central database to 

verify a pilots’ identity through the Known Crewmember program. TSA has identified the lack of a similar database for Flight Attendants as an impediment to expediting screening for Flight Attendants. Can you please respond to this issue? 

Answer. Some airlines have a database of flight attendants that would provide the 

information needed by Known Crewmember (KCM) to verify the current employment status and identity of flight attendants. Other airlines need to update their 

existing database and some airlines need to create such a database. The TSA needs 

to provide the specifications for connectivity to KCM for existing airline flight attendant databases or flight attendant databases to be created. 

CHECKED BAGGAGE FEES

Question. According to a Government Accountability Office report from July 2010 

(Cite: GA0–10–785, page 29), the Association of Flight Attendants conducted a member survey in February of that year indicating that checked baggage fees have led 

to excess and oversized carry-on bags, slow passenger boarding, pushback delays, 

stressful boarding situations, full overhead bins, and injuries to airline staff and 

passengers from lifting oversize carry-on bags. 

From your organization’s perspective, can you please explain the impact of 

checked baggage fees on flight attendants’ general ability to facilitate passenger 

boarding and efficient, customer-friendly air travel? 

Answer. Overly large and bulky carry-on items have been a problem for commercial aviation operations for several decades. 

An examination of past airline and Government data suggests that the frequency 

of injuries among cabin crew is high, but reliable statistics on crew and passenger 

injuries caused by carry-on items are difficult to obtain. In the mid-1980s, as problems mounted, the Association of Flight Attendants gathered evidence from its 

members and presented the data to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with 

a request for limits on carry-on baggage. Hearings were held in 1985; a rule proposed in 1986 followed by more hearings; and a final rule, Federal aviation regulation section 121.589 Carry-on baggage, was published in June 1987, followed closely 

by advisory circular (AC) 121–29, an industry guidance document published in November 1987. Unfortunately, the regulation contains two fundamental weaknesses: 

each airline is allowed to set policies (approved by the FAA) dictating numbers and 

sizes of passenger carry-on items, and airlines are allowed to enforce their own policies. Despite minor revisions made since initial passage of the carry-on baggage regulation, neither weakness has been corrected. 

According to the TSA Common Strategy, flight attendants are supposed to carefully observe passengers during the boarding process to watch for suspicious items 

and behaviors. Prior to takeoff, flight attendants can ask the captain to subject a 

suspicious passenger to additional security scrutiny. If warranted, the passenger can 

be removed from the plane before takeoff or monitored more carefully in flight. 

The ability of flight attendants to provide this critical final layer of pre-flight security is severely diminished by carry-on baggage chaos. Flight attendants report 

being distracted from their critical security responsibilities by attempts to wedge excessive quantities and sizes of carry-on bags into overhead bins, and often time-consuming efforts to convince passengers to take excess bags back to the jetway for 

stowage as checked baggage. 

While there may appear to be increases in the quantity of baggage brought into 

the cabin since airlines began charging fees for checked bags, to AFA’s knowledge 
120 

there have been no surveys conducted or statistical data generated that isolate 

checked baggage fees as the significant contributing factor. In fact, AFA believes 

that other factors, including flight reductions that have led to decreases in total 

numbers of seats and increased load factors and seat pitch reductions to increase 

seating capacities on individual airplanes are potentially greater contributors. 

Thus, in AFA’s opinion the specific factors that contribute to the crew distractions, 

schedule disruptions and workplace safety hazards created by excessive amounts of 

carry-on baggage are unknown. However, what is clear is that a simple, standardized policy applied to all passengers and enforced prior to the security screening 

area is necessary. A standard bag size dimensional limit that accommodates most 

passengers’ carry-on baggage is essential to curtail attempts to bring onboard overstuffed bags that cannot be accommodated in the storage location under the seats 

in front of passengers. Once the overhead bins are full these larger, bulkier bags 

must be checked prior to closing the aircraft door, leading to crew distractions and 

flight delays. Smaller, standard sized carry-on bag limits will ensure that passengers are able to accommodate their allowable amounts of one carry-on bag plus 

one personal item in the overhead bins and in the under-seat storage areas. 

CONCLUSION OF HEARING

Senator LANDRIEU. And Mr. Hacker, I am going to schedule a 

special meeting between you and your association and the State 

Department to talk more carefully through this because it is absolutely essential. And I know it is the idea of this administration to 

foster international trade, but in theory it sounds great, but this 

is the practice of international trade. This is where the rubber hits 

the road. This is whether it happens or not. And all the good wishes here in the United States for selling our equipment, ideas, and 

professional services overseas cannot happen if people who are buying them cannot get access to the trade shows where we are displaying some of our best services and wares. And so I am going to 

ask for a special meeting with State to focus with you on this. 

I think we are making some headway on the tourism piece of 

this. I think we have a long way to go on this more business-focused trade situation. 

This has been a very good hearing. I am glad we had it. I thank 

the staff. 

And the meeting is recessed. 

[Whereupon, at 12:06 p.m., Wednesday, March 21, the hearing 

was concluded, and the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene 

subject to the call of the Chair.] 

Æ