Date: 2016-02-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak on H.R. 3584. the Transportation Security Administration Reform and Improvement Act. which would authorize. streamline. and identify efficiencies within the Transportation Security Administration. As a Senior Member of the Homeland Security Committee. I served as chair of this subcommittee and continue to support its work to improve transportation security. I currently serve as the Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committees Subcommittee on Crime. Terrorism. Homeland Security. and Investigations. The work of the TSA is a front line Department of Homeland Security and it is not easyit can in fact be very dangerous. Like many of my Colleagues. I recall the shooting incident at LAX last year that killed Gerardo Hernandez. who became the first TSA officer killed in the line of duty. and the machete attack at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport earlier this year that resulted in injuries to Senior Transportation Security Officer Carol Richel. Each day. TSA processes an average of 1.7 million passengers at more than 450 airports across the nation. In 2012. TSA screened 637.582.122 passengers. The Bush Intercontinental and the William P. Hobby Airports are essential hubs for domestic and international air travel for Houston and the region: Nearly 40 million passengers traveled through Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and an additional 10 million traveled through William P. Hobby (HOU). More than 650 daily departures occur at IAH. IAH is the 11th busiest airport in the U.S. for total passenger traffic. IAH has 12 allcargo airlines handling more than 419.205 metric tons of cargo in 2012. I believe that Congress has not done all that it could to make employees work easierSequestration. a government shutdown. and a delay in fully funding the Department of Homeland Security was not in the security interest of the nation. Reports issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) have identified shortcomings within the Agency. raising questions how effectively TSA is fulfilling its mission. Allegations about mismanagement. wasteful procedures. retaliation against whistleblowers. low morale. and security gaps within the Agency are causes for concern. Other issues related to inconsistent requirements between what is written and what employees are told is essential for them to successfully meet the agencys standards for good performance needs work. The need for attention to TSA administrative procedures and due process within the agency to backstop decisions regarding reprimands or negative actions toward employees can be an essential step in addressing some morale issues that are related to uncertainty regarding the successful performance of duties. In other words. the same conduct by persons holding the same level of responsibility or positions within an airport results in the same positive or negative outcome. TSA is charged with: The protection of Americas transportation systems. monitoring the movement of people and supplies during their use of our transportation systems. and ensuring the effectiveness and integrity of government agencies. H.R. 3584. directs the TSA to: ensure that all screening of passengers and their accessible property will be done in a riskbased. intelligencedriven manner with consideration given to the privacy and civil liberties of such passengers. and operate the "TSA PreCheck" program in a manner that provides expedited screening for lowrisk passengers and their accessible property based on a comprehensive and continuous analysis of factors. More needs to be done to support the men and women working on the front lines of our nations domestic security and that includes those who work at the TSA. I will continue to seek out opportunities to promote the mission of the TSA and role that TSA professionals fill.