TSA nominee is endorsed by committee

A new leader for the Transportation Security Administration won unanimous approval on Thursday from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, moving his nomination to the Senate floor.

Erroll Southers, a 30-year veteran of public safety and counterterrorism programs at the local, state and federal level, was lauded by committee leaders and is expected to easily win Senate confirmation as assistant secretary for the TSA at the Homeland Security Department.

Southers is assistant chief in charge of security and intelligence at Los Angeles International Airport's police department.

He is also a former FBI agent and he served as deputy director of the California Office of Homeland Security.