Transcripts For CSPAN3 Hearing On TSA Oversight 20240713

Year later, the implementation of the modernization act. Without objection, the chairs authorize to declare the subcommittee in recess at any point. I want to thank you, Ranking Member glasgow and our distinguished witness for joining us today. One year ago this month, congress enacted the First Comprehensive reauthorization, known as the tsa modernization act. The act incorporated substantial numbers of bills, and provisions that originated in this committee. This is a testament to the bipartisan efforts to conduct oversight of tsa. I thank my colleagues, miss Watson Coleman and the tsa modernization act improves our nations transportation security. Its a government to describe now, but id like to highlight a few key point. It established a fiveyear term for this tsa administrator to provide stability, to the agencys leadership. And, sadly, the current chaos and leadership vacancies within have undermined those efforts. Administrator, has been forced to wear two hats. Acting as dhs deputy secretary, and transportation administrator. I commend him for answering the call of duty, but the role of tsa administrator is a fulltime job that requires fulltime dedication to securing our transportation system. I hope the president will nominate perpetrators to fill many of the dhs vacancies, and does provide tsa with a stable leadership that congress envisioned but it passed this legislation. In addition to establishing the administrators term, the tsa modernization first pushes tsa to enhance its Strategic Planning efforts, number two, to secure public areas of airport aspirations systems, and improves the security of air cargo transportation. But we appreciate tsas dedication to implementing the many directives and reporting requirements in this legislation, as well as tsas transparency in updating the committee on its progress. Although tsa has made significant progress on implementing the act, i am still concerned that tsa has not yet complied with the provisions that presents some of the biggest priorities of the act. First, tsa is late in providing this committee a report and recommendation to perform its Personnel Management system. And, as you, know this subcommittee recently highlighted issues facing the tsa workforce at its hearing in may. Transportation Security Officers served on the front lines and carry our nations transportation system, yet are among the lowest paid workers in the federal government. Theyre also not afforded some of the basic workplace employees enjoy. A professional National Security agency, and i look forward to hearing more about the status of this important report. I will ask at this point, unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from the american federalists but of government employees. Second, tsa is late and providing a strategy that was due in february regarding plans to open procurement process for Wider Networks of technology companies, including participation of Small Businesses. Tsa relies on the small number of vendors to provide the screening technologies in use worldwide. Small businesses in particular face difficulties in competing for tsa awards, due to limited procurement cycles, and lengthy testing and evaluations processes. I look forward to hearing what steps tsa is taking to ensure these processes are open and fair to all. And, finally, tsa is overdue in providing an assessment and potential enhancements to surface transportation security. As you know they are pretty livable to terrorist attacks, and its important that he has a prioritize completion of these requirements. Tsa must work to come into full compliance with the requirements that the tsa modernization act as soon as possible. Once again, id like to thank the tsa and the g8 so from being here today and i look forward to a conversation. With that, id like to turn this conversation over to the Ranking Member debbie lesko for an Opening Statement. Thank you. Id like to welcome representative dan bishop from north carolina, welcome. This is a great committee. You will enjoy it. Its very important. I would like to think the witnesses for being here, and the tsa officers and other employees that are here for tsa, the subcommittees meeting to oversee implementation of last years bipartisan reauthorization of the transportation act. Terrorists continue to target both service and Aviation Transportation in ways that are constantly evolving. The tsa monetization act recognizes this reality and provides direction to the agency at a critical time. Unfortunately, this legislation marks the first ever reauthorization of tsa since the agency was created. In so doing, Congress Fulfilled its ability to provide oversight, to protect the traveling public. The tsa modernization act took measurable steps to update many officers and programs within tsa, and make the agency more prepared for current and evolving threats to transportation security. Some of these provisions included the establishment of a fiveyear term for the tsa administrator, authorizing the use of thirdparty explosive detection canines for passenger and cargo screening, providing Additional Resources and support to the federal flight deck program. An outlining new enrollment objectives for tsa precheck. Now, a little less than enactment, its prudent for our subcommittee to echo the bipartisanship that facilitated the passage of this landmark legislation as we examine how effectively tsa has worked to implement the law. I commend administrator David Pekoske who is serving doubly as the acting director, acting deputy secretary of the department of homeland security, for working closely with congress on this legislation last year, and for his teams dedication to providing regular briefings to the relevant committees and the implementation status. This work, along with congressional oversight, has resulted in 87 of the laws required actions for tsa being either successfully completed or on track for successful completion in a timely manner. For many of these provisions, g. I. A. Served as the committees watchdog on implementation and its review of tsa programs, officers, and mitigation efforts. Im pleased that they are represented here today as well. I look forward to hearing from tsa on the status of outstanding provisions in the law, as well as what the agency has accomplished over the last year, in fulfilling its statutory requirements. Thank you, and i yield back the balance of my time. Other members are reminded that Opening Statement maybe savannah for the record. Id like to open the panelists patricia cogswell, she held several leadership positions within the u. S. Immigration and customs enforcement, and dhs, including as acting under secretary for dhs intelligence and analysis. Our next witness, mr. William rajpal is a director of the justice, team where he is responsible for leading ngos work on aviation and service but. He is over 17 years of experience and was previously assistant director in the contracting and National Security acquisitions. Without objections, the witnesses full statement will be inserted into the record, and now i ask each witnesses to summarize their statements for five minutes, beginning with this patricia cogswell. Welcome. Good morning to members of this committee. On behalf of tsas employees id like to express our appreciation for the continued support of congress, and the productive relationship we have with the subcommittee and the Government Accountability office, as well as the authorities provided by the tsa modernization act to 2016. Implementing the tsa modernization act is a priority for tsa, and im grateful for the invitation to testify about our. Efforts since its creation following the september 11th attacks, it is his commitment to ensuring Public Security has enabled people to travel securely. Transportation systems remain highly valued targets for terrorists and their methods of attacks are more decentralize and opportunistic than ever. Tsa must make the chance of a consulate involving threat environment, at both the cyber and physical realms. And meeting the challenge, their most important asset is our people. Im very proud of the 63,000 dedicated professionals who make up our workforce, and every day demonstrate our core values of intel integrity, respect, and commitment. Together, the efforts of our workforce secures and facilitates transportation for an average of 85 million passengers, 2. 5 six billion in cargo, and critical transportation infrastructure around the country. Earlier this year, a significant portion of our workforce went without pay for 35 days during the partial government shutdown. Despite suffering financial and personal hardships, they demonstrated to professionalism and commitment to the transportation security mission. We are grateful to congress for continuing to explore ways to prevent this from happening again, and stand ready to help you in achieving this goal. 2018 was a very important year for tsa, and its direction. Not only did we release our strategy, highlighting our duties and priorities and improving security and safeguarding the transportation security but, exhilarating as, john and committing to our people. But it became law. The first reauthorization of our agency. 2019 has been the implementation. Weve conveyed, the progress meeting with the subcommittee staff, that as of today, tsa has implemented more than 60 of the hundred 80 requirements mandated by the act but. Conducting a Global Security review, and initiating a Pilot Program to test air cargo. I definitely, and limit the use, and showing the feasibility for tsa use of project only lanes, as well as the future line experience model, where non protect passengers designated as laura risk would receive alternative screening procedures. But continuing to evaluate, risk and assessing Technology Policy and procedures to address that risk is critical to our emissions execution. Recent examples of where we have done so consistent include updating the federal air marshal their Prioritize Mission and revise International Risk assessment models, as well as implementing changes to address insider risk, including establishing an Aviation Committee on inside a threat to assess ways to improve airport worker controls. Building on this critical work, tsa plans to produce a roadmap for mitigating inside a risk in all modes of transportation. Tsa also recognizes our strategic success depends on our workforce. The tsa commissioned a Blue Ribbon Panel to review tsas capital processes, and we established our National Adviser and council, which is provides of advisers from our uniformed workforce. The recommendations from these groups and others, tsa developed a number of workforce initiatives that we are implementing, such as our to tear performance system, and there are two years so career progression. Members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to testify before you today. Tsa is grateful for the authorities provided to them modernization act, and is committed to implementing them as quickly as possible. I look forward to your questions. Thank you, mrs. Cogswell. And id like to recognize mr. William russell, for his statements. Sir . Good morning, members of the subcommittee. Im pleased to discuss the tsa modernization act. The act included provisions to include the Aviation Security screening technologies, oversight a passenger screening processes. The act, also included a number of provisions burgeo to review tsa is progress. The statement criticizes patchwork an observations of our ongoing work in assessing takes action for select areas. Overall this shows the tsa has made progress consistent with provisions with the act, we can improve and a number of areas. First, in terms of international Aviation Security, tsa took steps to strengthen assessments for an airport operators. Since our december 2017 report, tsa further enhanced its for the to be effectively mitigated. It included a provision to review security directors for airports and Foreign Countries that offer vast points of departure towards the u. S. Tsa may offer new directives for emergency carriers but threatened formation our vulnerabilities at foreign airports indicate an immediate need for air carriers to implement additional security measures. In our view of this process, we found that tsa did not fully define how to coordinate with industry representatives, which can lead to some difficulties but. Tsa had not determined whether to cancel or incorporate longstanding security directives into air carrier security programs, in full accordance with tsa policy. Amid several recommendations to address these, issues and tsa concurred with them. The tsa modernization act also related to oversight a passenger screening. Rules tsa develops screening rules by considering intelligence another fascists do and higher. Tsa according to school reviews three quarterly meetings and notifies an expanded set of dhs and tsa stakeholders of changes as called for under the act. We also found that, while tsa track some data related to rule implementation, it is not comprehensively measure rule effectiveness, we recommended that tsa explore Additional Data sources to better administer the structure of these rules. In terms of screening technologies, we review the process used by tsa to deploy those technologies to airports, and in our forthcoming report we found that tsa considers risks in its deployment decisions but has not documented them. Importantly, we found that after screening technologies have been deployed to airports, tsa does not fully ensure that these technologies continued to meet detection requirements but, even the performance of that technology can degrade over time. I made several recommendations to address these issues, and tsa is revealing them. But are the act, we also reviewed tsa pipeline security efforts. We found that tsas management of its pipeline security can be improved, although coordination with pipeline operators , for example, tsa needs to better evaluate the staff, and to include a strategic workforce plan that can help effectively it into fight the skills and competencies, such as cybersecurity expertise, necessary to carry out responsibilities. Tsa concurred with those recommendations to address the issues. In conclusion, tsa has taken an important step to improve security and response modernization act. But additional actions will be needed going forward. We will continue to review tsa progress to implement these remaining parts of the act. This concludes my remarks, and i look forward to your actions. You have one minute left. Thank you. I will remind each member that he or she will have five minutes to ask questions, and about like to recognize myself for the first set of questions. The first one is for possible. As you know, part of the tsa act, congress codified the fiveyear term, and the current administrator is wearing two hats, one as the administrator and the other is acting secretary. Given this dual role and duty, who was running the daytoday operations at tsa . Thank you very much for your question. As part of his retails ignition and position as the senior official performing the duties of the deputy secretary, he has authorized me to run most of the operations for tsa. I have a series of areas where i consult with him on a regular basis to ensure consistencies. I decided with issues are delegated to him versus you, and how is that affected the implementation of the act . The way we have been approaching this process, is through longstanding close collaboration. As you might suspect, i talked to a multiple times a week. A look for any issues that i believe are particular sensitive, or time consuming of nature, to ensure that there is no instance where he would be caught off guard. Given the concerns that we had, and im sure youre doing a great job. Do we need a stable leadership, should these vacancies be filled . It is incredibly important for tsa to half staple leadership over an extended period of time. I think it is one of the best parts of the act, creating that goal and that mindset. And the administrator shares that goal. I know he very much is a believer in this role and this position, and would very much like to be able to see at the remainder of his term. At the same time, we recognize the importance of continuity across the department of homeland security, and i can think of no one Better Qualified to be able to serve in the type of position and David Pekoske. All month security such a Critical Role in defending our citizens, not only here but around the world. We want to be of as much help as possible, to make sure youre able to implement your mission. Turning to another issue, which is workforce issues. The subcommittee has focused on issues of the workforce. It requires the tsa and summit to congress to, a working group as former has many productive discussions. Down to and including the extent of the period of time, because the discussions were so productive they had additional items they wanted to conclude. The working group concluded its deliberations at the end of august, and completed the drafting author port in september. The report is now in clearance. When will you expect that . I have will be in the matter of weeks. Thank you. The statute also says that the working group should consider reforms to the tsa, versus all management systems, including appeals to the system board and grievances procedures. Were those topics considered by the working group . The group highly focused around discipline and grievances, yes. Id like to turn over, and now yield and would like to recognize Ranking Member of the subcommittee, the gentle person from south carolina. Thank you. And you also had a minute left, so were just buzzing by. I have a question for both of you. The review found that tsa does not ensure that screening technologies continue to meet detection requirements after they have been deployed to airports. In this review, the gao recommended that tsa and learn a process to ensure technologies continue to meet the protection requirements after the appointment, and the, tsa is clearly reviewing this. I would like to ask a question to mr. Russell. Can you expand on this a little bit more. Were putting in new technologies like cities can nurse and were not checking on them to see if theyre working, is that what youre saying . You think about the body scanners, other pieces of equipment. Theres an initial certification process, where they complete the procurement process to ensure all the requirements, as expected, and then it gets deployed to airports. What we found is, on a daily basis, most airports half a calibration kid that they run through the equipment that experienced agnostics for that equipment working properly. That check does not include ensuring that the actual detection out and explosive or other prohibitive items is operating at the same level as when it left the factory. So thats what we are getting. Will that normally be done by people who are just trying to sneak things through . Is that what it would be or you saying after hours or whenever you tested. How would you tested . Thats what we have the recommendation that we think tsa should devise a process for how you periodically checked that the equipment, once fielded, its still operating at that high Detection Level when it left the certification process. Miss cogswell, what can tsa do better. I went to the place where youre testing the technologies, so how would you do a better job . How would you test somebody . What did you surprise checks, what are you thinking . Thank you. And i appreciate your visit. I would offer any of your colleagues if they would like to come see it as well. This item is still under review. We are still putting together our response. We highlighted one of the most important, ensuring that the plan while recognizing we are testing today, we already have processes by which to a move that would call index testing, where we do an assessment across our system to really understand what performance levels are at each time. This recommendation goes at a slightly different area, which is we have, so to your exact point, on a regular basis. Given all the equipment we have. With the 50 seconds i have left, i have a question that does not deal with this report, everyone has a real id and the tsa has any thoughts, of people are worried thaty e same time. E trickling and getting, these like ive gotten one my son has gone one, but the deadline hits. What are we expecting will happen . I think all, every single Congress Member is going to be, tons of calls are going to happen because they cannot fly. At this point, the most important thing we can do is get wider awareness of the deadline out to as many people as possible. And to help people understand that they have more than one option, support you can get so you have other options to receive documentations, including passports, a global entry card, a military id, so critical through all this is to get the word out as far as possible, not only to the enquirer crowd industryq. To help get that awareness to conduct local enrollment events, at airports, and other locations to try and ease that burden and make it more readily visible to people on how they can quickly update. But, right now, most critical, you need to get the word out. I think all of us should help in doing that, because otherwise, it is going to be a big, a lot of people will call our officers. So you had mentioned one of the alternatives is global entry already. Its project also an alternative . At this, time its time to recognize how protect works today. Through project, we conduct a series of additional verifications, looking for threat information within someones background. However, when someone shows up at travel documents, what they are often presenting is that drivers license. Under statute and limitations, were not allowed to address a drivers license after december 21st, 2021. Thank you. Thank you this debbie lesko. Id like to recognize mr. Cleaver for five minutes of questions. Thank you for being here,. None of this has to do with your work, but happen every other month it seems, whenever we have a full hearing, we have a new director or new acting director, which can possibly be one of the Better Things that is happening to the agency. Thats not a question, thats a declaration. My concern is that we dont only have the changes at the top, but when we talk about the workforce issues, we still have an unbelievably high turnover rate of tsa employees. I hope that is as troubling to you as it is to me, because i do an average of 18 air miles, and i get a chance to note the guys and it seems like every, my suggestion, my analysis is that its due to a poor pace. What we get that change . Thank you for the question, and i appreciate your efforts and interest and sharing that you are part of our workforce. I appreciate your engagement. That means a lot when you care about them have to ask how they, are rather than just one thing. What we have authority to do now is provide for incentives. For those airports, where the tension is above what we would like to see, we are authorized and do pay a differential. That remains to after 60 over the salary, depending on local working conditions. We have additional authorities with respect to other pay reforms that we can think. Within the aviation and transportation act, there has brought ability for us to address for kind of pay system we have. What we dont have, however, is the budget to make broad scale changes across the board. Just put a period right there. So, let me just interpret what i thought i just heard you say, that significant changes can be made but there is a need to increase the funding for propositions before that can be done on a scale that, methods a future in this. Were working on a series of actions that we look forward to working with congress. We need to pay the more money, and if i need to push for a higher budget, if theres an understanding that everything is being done now to increase the salaries with the budget that is there, than my belief is that we need to do a budget increase, because ive never understood this. The people in whose hands we place in our lives, three or four times a week, we pay the less money, it doesnt register with. Me i cant figure it out. So i want to fix it mr. Russell, didnt help me . Somebody help me. Can you help me . What do you think . What needs to be done . One of the things that weve seen in 2018, we did a report that looked at the staffing allocation models to figure out how many airports, or how many tsa is you go to the airport and what we found is that system is effective. Its budget constrained, so you plug in the amount of funding that they have, to try to make the numbers work to invest in the airport. It could be a number of tsos that are needed when we do the model without the current budget. If that helps. I think my time has run out before my questions run out. Well thank you very much to both of you. Mister chairman . Well have a second set of questions coming up. Id like to recognize mr. Bush up for five minutes of questions. Thank you. Miss cogswell, tsa is a critical canine Protection Program is very important. The tsa modernization act included several provisions to improve that. Section 98 requires tsa to require standards for candidates to screen passengers. What is the status of this provision, and any insight into what we can see in terms of standards . Thank you. I share your appreciation for our canine detection teams. Every time i go to airports and i see the cant nine is in action, i love my jobs. I wish i love my job as much as the dogs. Every day you see theyre incredible dedication and their hard work and i love seeing both the canine and their handlers in action. I will say, ask you your specific question, we have formed the working group, and the working group estimated their working group to tsa. We are now in the process of formalizing those and two standards, and should have those completed in the next month or two. The law also authorized Screening Program for cargo. Alice has provision been implemented and what has been the response . We issued the implementing regulations last december, and began immediately training the various teams. We had more than 230 teams that have been certified today, including a number of thirdparty entities that are able to provide the certification. Overall, we have seen a tremendous interest out of the cargo environment, and receive a lot of support from industry for implementing that provision. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you, i like to recognize miss Nanette Barragan for questions. Thank you. Missed drugs well, you mentioned some progress done on transportation security. The act, tsa modernization act, pushes tsa to investigate transportation security. Under section 1981, they will introduce advance Security Technologies into Service Transportation systems and increasing vetting and identifying verification of the surface transportation passengers. The assessment was due to congress by april 3rd, 2019. It has not yet been produced. Can you tell us why that is the case, and whether there has been an impact on the staffing that is impacted this deadline . As was noted, also in my testimony, we stood up the surface transportation security advisory committee. Weve also done an outreach effort across the country to engage with the various stakeholders involved in this process, to identify their highest interests and needs, to ensure that as we develop various ideas for the Feasibility Study and analysis, we were taking on those items of moves interest. Do you know when the study will be ready for congress . The one doing april. We have some additional work underway within tsa to finalize that analysis and then it will need to go on to reveal, so it will be early next year. Early next year. In 2013, a gunman shot and killed a tsa officer at Los Angeles International airport, my home airport. And in 2017, a gunman shot and killed five people at Fort Lauderdale international airport. In the aftermath of the shootings, dhs and he has called for airports to create unified Operations Centers to coordinate Emergency Response and improve communications. And section 1987, the tsa modernization act provides a framework for centers. This language came from my bill, the strengthening local transportation Security Capabilities act. Miss cogswell, what is the status of this effort and what resources has tsa provided to airports. Maybe you can set some light on how many airports youve created these unified Operations Centers. We have issued those guidelines. Currently, we are staffing at 12 unified operation centers, and have another four that are staffed intermittently, depending on the various exercises or response activities underway at those locations. We are working across the board with airports to understand what model works best with them, and what theyre standards are within the Airport Community to present a positive response. What more can tsa in congress due to push airports to establish the centers . Is there anything else we can do to be helpful . Continuing to talk about it. You are highlighting the need, the reason for people to not meet each other for the first time on a bad day. To regularly work on problems together, that is the most important thing. Okay. I want to take a moment to appeal on the work of tsa and the work of the men and women who are on the front lines, i call it, in our airport. Im a Firm Believer that the greatest Terror Threat its going to come through airports, and supports. And the tsa officers and the work they do is so critical to the safety of americans in the homeland, so i want to applaud their work day in and day out. My colleague touched upon the issue of pay and salaries. Frankly, i can understand why we pay the men and women on the front line such a low a lot of money, when they are responsible for our security. So im greatly concerned about what we can do to increase morale, increase retention, and make sure that they have representation to be in the strongest position possible. Now, the tsa modernization act directed her agency to create a working group to work with labor representatives and produced a report outlining the recommendations. I have tsa forming its Personnel Management system. Im aware the tsa is late answering this report to congress, some hoping you can provide clarity on it. When can we expect this report, and can you now less any recommendations provided by this working group . The working group had a very productive discussion, and agreed upon a number of joint recommendations. The report is in final administration clearance. We have to have it cleared within the next few weeks. Thank you, i yield back. Miss Watson Coleman, youre recognized for questions. Thank you. Miss cogswell, how are you today . Good . Good. Miss Nanette Barragan, asked about the working group. Was it full of members as well . When was it constituted . It went to the shut down, and went through full meetings to the end of august. So the report that you will make it something that has, is that consensus between the union and the agency in regard to these tsos . We are excited to see. That the National Deployment force that is the short term deployment force, whether its seasonal or is she related soon to ensure there are at the screening resources. It was caught a violent sex in 1988 of the tsa modernization act. Actually based on my bill, the National Deployment fourth act. It was deployed to last airports like seattle, and denver, where tsa did not mean its hiring goals, and two airports in hawaii, where tsa has a difficult time attracting candidates. What steps are you taking to hire permanent tsos at those challenging airports . Thank you for the authorization, they provided critical assets, but in response to a wide range of various needs across the tsa, and this is critically important for us. I agree, i just want to know what we are doing about trying to recruit people to work in those airports. We have increased the retention and those areas, and authorize additional allocation hiring, so they can ensure consistency overtime, with a full and some additional measures, local travel and etc, to that there could be more load balancing in specific areas. The working group that you were constituted will come out and address these issues at these areas that particularly you like to live in, but you dont necessarily want to work there under the current conditions, is that so . It will affect how you work out these challenging airport hirings and retention. The working group looked at grievance procedures, focusing on those elements directly. To look at hiring and retention . No. Was there an intention for it to look at the issue of retention in particular . That was not an area where we signed them up for this round. We are having another issue. Im asking if the bill, the law includes the discussion with the working group on those areas . I do not remember. Im not sure, but i think it does, because we were concerned about the recruitment, and the retention. And the discipline, and any other employee procedures. So i would appreciate the feedback on that if, you dont mind. I want to ask you about something that has come to my attention with regard to the federal air marshals. There was an article in september and this year that spoke to what is considered a crisis and chaos in the federal air marshal area. And he is alleged inability to respond in such a way that keeps these air marshals from burning out. Theres been a series of suicides, you had several allegations of sorry siri all occasions of Mental Health issues. And much of it had to do with deprivation of sleep and too many hours. It is something that youre doing internally to address these issues in particular, if you could highlight for us something we can discuss later. Thank you. And i look forward to discussing and more indepth. I would note that that article do not bring forward new data, it was looking at prior information. The important piece to notice that we already had a number of items underway. The first is, whether we are looking at what the right mix and balances of flying versus on the ground time. That can mean, your training time, it can mean what we call ground bases silent, where you rotate out of lying for some period of time to perform some other security function, for example, at the airport. It also looked at how we provide services to our air marshals so that they have to help they need, should they needed. And equipped other members of the workforce to help engage with their colleagues. Thank you. Through you, its an issue i would really like for us to look at more indepth but. Noted. And we will go and that direction. I will now recognize the chairperson from new york, for five minutes of questions. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you for being here. As part of the tsa modernization act, there are multiple inside a threat provisions contained. I want to get an update. I know we are past the deadline for that, we could be an opportunity to explain. If you tell me where we are in the process, and why we have not met the deadline in the bill. The most important part through all those inside our throat elements is to ensure close, detail collaboration and cooperation with the different stakeholders involved. As you know, we dont implement these by ourselves and most instances. We are asking the airports to implement when we issue any kind of regulatory action. We want to ensure that the recommendations we identified as, much as possible or under a joint collaborative process, and that our feasibility analysis, including the Economic Analysis that goes with it is fully informed by what our stakeholders sea and believed would be the impacts. The deadline was october, and you have a projected deadline of when will be back to us . The largest piece, the Feasibility Study, we had to do is survey more than 310 airports, responded to that was wonderful and put towards that analysis. That one is wrapping up in terms of its process, and is about to go to enter Agency Clearance. I hope you would receive it early and here, it is not before that. As to another provisions, we have gone through an effort to receive direct input from the Aviation Security adviser committee, and are working to put together and overall roadmap for insider threats. That an answer much than. When will this be done . We look to have to you by early january. I appreciate. That i am concerned that when there is a provision that you we asked you to fall you did not do it in a timely manner, i appreciate your honesty, but if it goes past january we might be a little bit more upset than we are right now. Just before warrant. Paycheck is project, which was passed into law. What is the status of laws requirement to preserve the two checked lanes, by only allowing the passengers a precheck. What the administrator said was that it modifies lanes, to give passengers low risk. We conducted pilots earlier this year for both models, coming up on that, we determined that both models are feasible, both models have demonstrated input that we can manage. What we needed to do was twofold. One, to determine all of those locations of those airports, were based on current flow, protected volumes, we can go ahead and implement well in advance. And doing a peer recheck lane would not allow us to manage the overall three point. At this point in, time we believe that we are executing cutting over for many of those airports that we believe we can do so now. We believe in the end that will be about 75 of the total of 440 airports that will be able to implement. The current status, is there a non protect member . As i noted, we are starting to cut over now. When hes taken over, what does that mean . . For those airports specifically, we will no longer have rules being used in that process. When we expect to be at 100 percent project only in project lanes. Thats what the bill is about, and as we were really interested in. We are very mindful of the deadline and the interests to achieve that deadline, we very much also recognize the importance of providing a consistent experience. What we dont want to do is totally disruption airport by doing something in a way that doesnt make sense. Critical to this is not being able to identify additional low risk populations eligible for some other kind of modified screening, that is not as streamlined as paycheck. That process is taking us a bit longer than any of us had hoped for, but a critically important for us to get right. We will continue to provide you with updates. I want to be forewarned, that is not an optional date, so i dont want to have another hearing back here that you did not comply with that it, its important from a security standpoint that only people that are and precheck, which is a higher level of repetitive screening of those candidates should be in project and also people pay for that, and its a service that they can expect to have and enjoy. So that is not an optional deadline for that law. So i will be forewarned, that if that deadline is not met, there will be a lot of problems in this committee. Understood. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you. I concur with you on that specific point, that should not be an option. I like to ask unanimous consent for this committee to have miss jackson lee join us here and you have not jacksonlee asked five minutes of questions. No objections . Thank you mister chairman. First of all, let me ask the chairman and the Ranking Member for their courtesy and members of the committee with a little bit of nostalgia, this committee i chaired years ago, so i would first of all express my appreciation to all of the tsos they work across the nation. And to reiterate that since 9 11, the American People would be absolutely shocked and amazed of the terrorist threats and danger to the Aviation System that he is prevented. Im concerned on a number of things. Let me start with every time we mention the employment landscape or the labor numbers, it looks like tsa says all is well, but you would find that, not even an ordinary cross the business, holidays or otherwise, there are long lines and people are not in place, shifts are changing. What are you doing to martin eyes from a perspective of a free flow of seamless system that has enough tsos in place, whether enough that the machine or elsewhere to provide that extra level of comfort, regarding the security mechanism that they are responsible for. Tsa has an extensive model, where we receive information from the Aviation Community apart protected volumes, number of tickets sold, win new flights will be on board, so the weekend model not only airport by airport but down to checkpoint by checkpoint, based on projected volumes. We have highlighted correctly there are instances where those models do not work. Number one is anytime theres a thunderstorm that comes up the east coast. But in a series of other instances, we look for how best to meet the need. I will say that the most important part from our perspective is ensuring that we are working to retain our timelines within our established parameters, which is 30 minutes for standard and ten minutes for paycheck. Does that mean, you have every tso you need to make the system work . We are working with those, airports where airline volume continues to increase at a very hefty rate, which is fantastic for our economy. Unfortunately, a number of these airports were not actually built to accommodate that level of the existing lane structure. In these instances, we worked very closely with the airports to understand how best we can open up the new lane, move shops or others to make additional space, event staff those lanes as they become available. We talk with them about what their longer term planes are for redevelopment to service those additional volumes. I want to make the same point and follow up on the deadline, regarding the certified and the identification and i would hope that we could get an update as we move towards the deadline. I just fear a great deal of confusion and also a percent inability to have that id. Im just ask a question because i have one more question. Are you doing a lastminute out reach level that you can actually hear it and pierce it, that means it has been all levels of social media, including the oldfashioned television. Ive seen and heard nothing, absolutely nothing. So . Yes we are working closely across the board with the travel industry talking about how we can changeup somebody communications we have as passengers buying tickets and as people are flying officers are advising some of the documents. You will do an Outreach Campaign to do that. Theyre doing a full transit around enriched already. Let me ask you about the travel program and they knew black Panther Party i spent the time dealing with the crisis of the tsa emotion travels and from my perspective and her background you oppose no threat. What is her route of cutting off of it shows up on her ticket and using her as an example. What is the process when i first came here ted kennedy was on the list how. Do you extract yourself from the office . Also say that as they do their job its very important that we be very clear that you have them be sensitive to the approach and to the language to how you move the person around and a non threat right there because they dont seem to have their weapons already there but what is the process . Theres a couple of pieces i would highlight and first and foremost is the ability to go through whats called the dhs trip. Anyone whos had an issue all traveling with the dhs trip will be government wide out of tsa and the number one thing we find is the vast majority of individuals it is not a watch list and will have a similar spelling similar to childbirth and therefore are inadvertently matched against the record. Whats easy for those individuals is able to distinguish them after they have information and have that redress number they will travel after making it with the airline and therefore not that person and they will be there for not match. Pursue that with you further and directly and make sure we can find a way and mister chairman this is something that happened in the early stages of tsa won a year old boy was trying to get off of lunch with john lewis and on this list for either reject it or couldnt get through, we havent heard as much but we still have some of that as you all know in the public he has a doing their job characters a pathway for those who are not threats and not treated as such. And organizing the organization. I think hes absolutely right and mr. Cleaver as well . Yes you are. I dont want to speak out of but see how it feels. It is very important. I healed. Thank you. That being said, id like to start a second round of questions, if i may. And i will start with myself, i recognize myself for five minutes. I want to follow up with mr. Clyburns comments about tsa personnel. They still have a lot of folks working. If i were to extrapolate from my discussion some of your, work you do have a lot of turnover. If you have a parttime job, they are part time, that is the crux of the issue this is a budgetary challenge that we have . As part of the 2020 issue, we are decreasing the number of parttime individuals authorized. We have individuals that have retired from other jobs and dont actually want to work a full schedule. It worked very well for them, especially in those locations, depending on the ground a workforce we see those part time jobs would prefer to be part time work fulltime . Those part timers i highlighted would prefer to be daying in parttime. There were others they would like to and would prefer. Fulltime i imagine is a lot of people that are not retire that would want some stability from a fulltime job. My next question is, in terms of budget, we have that tax we face on tickets. That is supposed to go to Airport Security. Yes. A go to the Airport Security . All but the amount set aside under the budget control act to go to deficit reduction. Say that again. It is not, a go to deficit reduction. Demanded go city of say. We tax our passengers for security, and that money does not go to security, it goes to that Budget Reduction . Thank you. Lets go onto for business participation. This committee is focused on interesting the small budget participation, especially in small screening technologies. They are required to outline how you get there. What is the status of the strategy and why are we eight months late on the specific area . The strategy is within administration and our Agency Clearance, we hope to have it out within the next few weeks. I will say, this is an area that i do feel quite it may take a few minutes to talk about. Please do. It seeks to incentivize and build out, its critically important to look for new in this space. That we not solely see just a consolidation of the market but that we also look for the best ideas, even for, and frankly, more importantly from individuals out maybe never even thought of themselves as working in the security community. Just as a couple of examples, id like to highlight. Last year, we ran a special exercise through dhs science and technology with a number of entities out in the wider world, including educational institutions to look at new algorithms for our machines, the on body screening system. Incredibly promising work, all from individuals that had not previously provided this kind of service to tsa before. We have those algorithms in the lab, now depending on the result we would deploy them out. Increasing our protection and reducing our false positive story cnn rena. Other examples. At the 2. 1 billion that he has a spent last year in acquisitions, 450 million was actually two Small Business, exceeding our target for last year. Almost one quarter of our entire work. Do you see Small Business is engaging in this area . One of the vendors that was directly involved and is currently undergoing trials is in fact a Small Business. What percentage of your non Service Contracts or set aside for Small Businesses . At this time, we do not have any set aside, but we have indicated in the current procurement that we will choose to have a set aside. They have set aside remittance . I dont have an answer. If i may highlight one other area, in the past year we do a broad announcement that seeks different work. 55 of which you do not respond to a tsa solicitation. 72 never contacted the tsa. Up the ones awarded, we select the 12 demonstration, seven are Small Businesses. I want to encourage you to continue to look for Small Businesses, thats where the innovation would come from. Im sure that your traditional, you want to think of the box, you have to go somewhere where you have not gone before. So please continue to do that work. Amount of time, so i like to recognize miss debbie lesko for five minutes. Thank you. This question is for this cogswell. Section one or nine of the law requires tsa to produce spending reductions, and administered the savings that may be streamlining. This provision also asked tsa to eliminate the put of programs and reduced the number of Senior Executive by as much as 20 . I would assume, one of my colleagues its going to be if we can reduce these duplicate, if im sitting right, programs and reduce the number of Senior Executive personnels, could we then move the money over to the concern about tsa officers pay, in this report it was due on october 4th. So my question is twofold. When will we have the report . And can we utilize any of these savings and move it over to tsa officer pay increase . We have completed the analysis, including implementing significant realignments across the agency. We also have projected in some additional cost savings for headquarters, associated with our move going into next year of about 11 over headquarters functions, but the sole intent of reallocating those resources to the field. The report itself is within inter Agency Clearance and we hope to get it to you within the coming weeks. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you. And id like to recognize mr. Cleaver for five minutes of questions. Thank you. When i was having difficulties getting to the airport, which is because of my last name, but for an American Airlines procedure, im not sure that i would still be on there. Thats not what i want to talk about. I want to talk about money. This is not your fault, as i said, but i think the fourth person this year that ive raised this issue too because of my concern. So, how long are gonna be here . How long are you going to be here in your job . Im not intending to lead anytime soon. I was selected for the job, ive been here about 18 months. I talk to one person, and they say okay, we have to do something. And in the next months, we have a new director, at an acting director. So, i dont waste your time, my time, talk about something that you will be around long enough to address. What is the starting salary for a tso . If you look at the base salary without the locality pay included, its about 27, 000, roughly equivalent to a gps for in the general schedule. If you add and look a little play, locations is about 33,000. And a gs four is not going to get shot at . A gs four is not going to get shot at . The gs for position is the position that is designated by opium for an unarmed security guard. Thats a comparison. I share with you the very strong interest in recognizing the incredible professionalism of our workforce, the increasing optimization that they have to know, and concur with you that i value the well above that. We gotta get this fixed. I know maybe look at a budget and a spending bill because a couple things i want to get into and paying these people that are putting their lives on the line and the other part is my airport is the person that ive talked to about this in Kansas City Missouri is one of only two airports in the country and the government tsa workers and enough to work to get that stopped and changed and San Francisco as the other airport and i dont want ours to stay like it is so two things that im coming up on. What is this private contractor that is running the tsa airport and it started out with the facial recognition and started out has a test pilot and the pilot was rolling now since 9 11. I needed to be changed by the time we come back next week. This graining Partnership Program is established and law and sets out in large parameters for how the parameters and requirements how it operates and how we identify which members will be able to me i dont know anybody else on the federal program. Youre talking about tiny airports to. From texas you are right but im talking about a largest city in the state of missouri missouri and are still running on a program thats supposed to be temporary. Were happy to come and talk to you more. With more airports involved and they determine whether or not who . Airport authorities who say they want to preserve pursue the private entity. We dont have an airport authority. We can talk with you more specifically. Ill try to work with you after. Thank you mr. Cleaver. Id like to recognize miss jacksonlee for five minutes of questioning. I did say how grateful i am for your kindness. Let me say to congressman Emanuel Cleaver were joining in enthusiastically with this program to begin and was in opposition to it who have a negative reflection on contractors. But i think because the tso are on the Frontline Security that they should be consistent in a managing structure as congressman and the airports opted in and was put into law by us individuals who i think with privatization and many of us to oppose it that means the airport cannot opt out except for the contract of whether runs out or not. Gather thing i want to make sure that were no longer thinking about tso a small airports. I think it was a mindless concept we will put them at the small airports as someone gets in the plane and opposes the big airport. It is no longer on the table regarding diaz sows. You better thing i want to join is the salaries of the tso because one of the organizations in question that i like him to expand his the technology. I dont know if theyre moving fast enough for tsa and a new type of technology and is a more sophisticated way sir . Certainly. Weve seen the checkpoint in the latest technology thats piloted but certainly we have thinking adversaries with these threats and we looked at tsas Coverage Program and there were some challenges there and their own teams are able to find covert tests. They were there for tsa and there is prophesys and find a medication in those implemented. Tsa is working on that. Can i yield to the deputy to see the review of the recommendations and particular on technology . We are looking on those recommendations. We highlighted our admission tax force as we were able to rapidly bring on board potential solutions that have gone through the initial review with that ability to do demonstrations and determine the effect well before its ready for full markets and that lets our development requires process quickly and it will help to whether or not they see this in a specific location. So, does that mean that youre trying to correct the slowness and technology and then train on that new technology . Was a poll that youre working on . The answer is yes to all three of those yes. When the gentleman from kansas missouri on raising the contracting issue. My concern would be that these airports out of accepted that will make sure the salaries are comparable and will be under environment for these salaries. What do you need from us and i know money to increase the salaries of tsa those . Just it highlight theres a difference you made between tso an espy pierre boards. They require the same amount that we do and were able to identify funds they would be required to match as well but we would like in the future is the idea to have some conversations with different models and whats in the options within the gaps that we received in the upcoming years to determine the best path. And i cant say how extremely valuable it is that you are asking these questions and incredibly valuable for morale as well as the interest demonstrating the interest importance on a daytoday basis. We open a couple years back the academy and i want to know how thats working and is it a professional development. I understand he send them to that school after they have been on the staff and can you tell me how its working . Absolutely. We changed our model but we found only at the capabilities of bringing people on board and taking that training and they were really understanding of what it was like working at a checkpoint and they thought this was the best fit and were able to train them on certain functions that dont require that full training and let them experience the environment like interacting with several people a day im making sure its a good fit for them in their training. We are seeing a decrease in people after the training saving us as well. The professional element is very important . For the group as well. I yield back mister chairman. Thank you very much. I want to thank the witnesses for youre very fair and valuable importance today i wanna thank the members for your questions and if i can and you heard some of the messages here to try to reduce turnover and the technology and of course the issue mr. Cleaver brought up which is once youre on them and members of the committee do they have any additional questions for the witnesses we ask that you respond in those questions and without objection the Committee Records should be kept open for ten days and no further business this meeting is adjourned. Thank you very much