Purse strings to tighten for Transportation Security Administration

Members of the House Transportation Appropriation Subcommittee promised Thursday to second-guess nearly every action taken by the Transportation Security Administration and offered little wiggle room on the budgeting front. Lawmakers at an appropriations hearing were especially frustrated that TSA officials have yet to deliver a detailed justification for either a fiscal 2002 supplement spending bill or its 2003 budget request. TSA officials said the latter is at the Office of Management and Budget, and they hope to have it back by June 25. Congress has already appropriated $2.4 billion to TSA in fiscal 2002. The supplemental bill seeks another $4.4 billion. The administration has also transferred $760 million to TSA from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "We are on the same team, but [Congress] is in the business of watching the taxpayers' dollars," said Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky. Directing a stern warning to TSA chief John Magaw, Rogers continued, "I don't know what your experience was at the Secret Service, but things are different here. We will not give you money until you tell us exactly how you are going to spend it. Is that clear?" "Very clear," Magaw responded. During the often contentious hearing, committee members seemed most concerned about TSA's assertion that it needs to hire nearly 65,000 people. In a supplemental spending bill, the House set a limit of 45,000, and Rogers has no intention of wavering. "We won't provide you with the money to hire all of these people," he said. The agency is re-evaluating its need to hire certain personnel. For instance, Magaw said he intends to have the airlines check tickets and passenger identification before letting fliers into the gate area. Originally, it was thought that TSA would hire 1,430 people to do so. Despite his desire to shift that role to the airlines, Magaw could not say that it was a done deal. Transportation Department Inspector General Kenneth Mead also raised concerns about TSA's ability to hire and train the personnel necessary to carry out screening. The agency hopes to have 33,000 passenger screeners in place by Nov. 19. As of June 1, it had hired just 1,248 screeners, according to Mead. In order to meet its deadline, TSA needs to hire 7,000 to 8,000 screeners every month from July through the end of October. Whether TSA knows how many new machines it needs to X-ray checked bags is another question, as is how much it will cost to retrofit airports to accommodate new explosive-detection machines and how many people are needed to operate the machines and provide backup security. The inspector general noted that current X-ray machines for checked bags are under-used. "For April 2002, 70 percent of the machines in use were screening, on average, 750 bags or less per day," Mead said. "These machines can screen 125 bags per hour and should be screening, at a minimum, 1,250 bags per day." He added that up until TSA's creation, the airlines operated the machines but were not forced by the government to run them to capacity. Magaw said a federalized workforce will put the machines to full use. As Congress debates the creation of President Bush's proposed Homeland Security Department, Mead also suggested that appropriators keep an eye on areas where TSA activity might duplicate the efforts of other agencies. For instance, TSA wants to create an intelligence unit. Such an effort could mirror functions being debated in the president's homeland security proposal. "TSA needs to stay focused on its mission right now," Mead told Government Executive. "That is screening passengers and checking baggage."