TSA seeks to slash airport screener workforce

  • Congress Daily
  • March 28, 2003
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Transportation Security Administration Director James Loy told lawmakers Thursday that as many as 3,000 airport screeners could lose their jobs this spring as the government reassesses the size of the workforce that it brought to full strength only last November.

The Associated Press reported that Loy said he wants to reduce the number of screeners from 54,000 to 51,000-cutting about one in 18-and that layoff notices could begin going out April 1.

Last year, lawmakers capped the number of TSA full-time screeners at 45,000. But the agency hired an additional 9,000 temporary employees, most on five-year contracts.

Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee on homeland security before which Loy testified, said he was concerned about a high ratio of screeners to passengers at small airports.

"I could quickly point you to where to eliminate some of these people," Rogers said. "Fertile ground are these smaller and midsize airports." Loy responded that he was "going directly there."

Loy said TSA's screener workforce remained higher than anticipated because attrition levels at the agency were lower than expected.

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