Washington, DC - Two House Chairmen have requested an Inspector General investigation of the recent TSA security screening meltdown at Honolulu International Airport. Reports indicate that dozens of federal transportation security officers are to be fired after an alleged dramatic failure in security performance.
U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Chairman of the National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, wrote to the Department of Homeland Security Acting Inspector General to request the investigation of TSA security failures.
"Once again, indications are that this is another major failure of TSA operations, following on the heels of significant operational failures uncovered by the Government Accountability Office," Mica said. "This comes after GAO criticisms of the agency's SPOT behavior detection program, TSA's cooking the books to make the all-federal screening model appear to be less costly than contract screener operations, and disarray in the transportation worker identification credentialing program.
"Unfortunately the incident at Honolulu Airport is just another example of what can happen when the nation's transportation security agency acts as both the operator and regulator of aviation screening," Mica said. "It is essential that we have a full investigation of this massive TSA lapse and ensure the nation has the most effective security system possible."
"I have long expressed my serious misgivings about the TSA's approach to securing an airplane," said Chaffetz. "This most recent incident in Hawaii only magnifies my concerns and highlights the failures of the TSA. There is a more effective and efficient way to handle aviation screening. I hope and expect this investigation will be the catalyst for change."
The Mica/Chaffetz investigation request comes in the same week as an expected announcement on a collective bargaining unit for the nearly 50,000 TSA federal screener force.
Included among Mica and Chaffetz's request for the Inspector General to investigate are the corrective and disciplinary actions taken against the almost 50 TSA employees at Honolulu, and a review of the TSA's processes to remove non- or underperforming security personnel at the airport and in general.
Given the security failure at Honolulu, Mica said, "TSA should encourage Honolulu and other airports experiencing similar problems with underperforming or non-performing federal security personnel to opt out of the all-federal screening model and apply to join other airports that successfully utilize the private-federal screening model provided in existing law."
"TSA can function more effectively as a security agency if it gets out of the business of managing a bloated bureaucracy of nearly 63,000," Mica continued. "By opting out of the all-federal screening model, airports can benefit from a private screening force that operates safely, efficiently, and prioritizes customer service, and TSA can focus on establishing security standards, setting and enforcing regulations, auditing the security system, and gathering and analyzing intelligence."
Mica and Chaffetz requested the DHS Acting Inspector General investigate and provide the following information:
* A complete analysis of the failure of TSA's oversight and supervision of baggage and passenger screening operations, protocols and procedures at HNL.
* A detailed summary of the security system failure.
* A review of HNL Transportation Security Officers (TSO) performance indicators, past evaluations, and all performance related disciplinary actions.
* An examination of whether the initial and recurrent training requirements for TSOs at HNL were current and consistent with national training requirements.
* The number of individuals involved their title and position, and current wage level.
* Summary of corrective and disciplinary action.
* A review of the TSA's processes to remove non- or underperforming TSO's in general, and at HNL in particular.
* A review of the TSA's plans to staff HNL screening operations until permanent TSO replacements can be hired and trained, and if the TSA plans to deploy the National Deployment Force, an audit of the total cost of such a deployment.
Click here to http://republicans.transportation.house.gov/Media/file/112th/Aviation/2011-06-21-Mica-Chaffetz_OIG_Request.pdf view the entire letter.
Read this original document at: http://transportation.house.gov/news/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1316 ^^SPLIT^^
