[House Hearing, 115 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ASSESSING THE TSA CHECKPOINT: THE PRECHECK PROGRAM AND AIRPORT WAIT
TIMES
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
TRANSPORTATION AND
PROTECTIVE SECURITY
of the
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
MAY 17, 2018
__________
Serial No. 115-64
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
32-637 PDF WASHINGTON : 2018
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Michael T. McCaul, Texas, Chairman
Lamar Smith, Texas Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi
Peter T. King, New York Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas
Mike Rogers, Alabama James R. Langevin, Rhode Island
Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Cedric L. Richmond, Louisiana
Scott Perry, Pennsylvania William R. Keating, Massachusetts
John Katko, New York Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey
Will Hurd, Texas Filemon Vela, Texas
Martha McSally, Arizona Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey
John Ratcliffe, Texas Kathleen M. Rice, New York
Daniel M. Donovan, Jr., New York J. Luis Correa, California
Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin Val Butler Demings, Florida
Clay Higgins, Louisiana Nanette Diaz Barragan, California
John H. Rutherford, Florida
Thomas A. Garrett, Jr., Virginia
Brian K. Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania
Ron Estes, Kansas
Don Bacon, Nebraska
Brendan P. Shields, Staff Director
Steven S. Giaier, General Counsel
Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk
Hope Goins, Minority Staff Director
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND PROTECTIVE SECURITY
John Katko, New York, Chairman
Mike Rogers, Alabama Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey
Clay Higgins, Louisiana William R. Keating, Massachusetts
Brian K. Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey
Ron Estes, Kansas Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi
Michael T. McCaul, Texas (ex (ex officio)
officio)
Kyle D. Klein, Subcommittee Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
STATEMENTS
The Honorable John Katko, a Representative in Congress From the
State of New York, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Transportation
and Protective Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 1
Prepared Statement............................................. 3
The Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Representative in Congress
From the State of New Jersey, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee
on Transportation and Protective Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 4
Prepared Statement............................................. 8
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Mississippi, and Ranking Member, Committee on
Homeland Security:
Prepared Statement............................................. 9
WITNESSES
Panel I
Mr. Darby LaJoye, Assistant Administrator, Office of Security
Operations, Transportation Security Administration, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 10
Prepared Statement............................................. 11
Mr. William Russell, Acting Director, Homeland Security and
Justice Team, U.S. Government Accountability Office:
Oral Statement................................................. 14
Prepared Statement............................................. 15
Panel II
Ms. Lorraine Howerton, Senior Director of Government Relations,
U.S. Travel Association:
Oral Statement................................................. 33
Prepared Statement............................................. 35
Ms. Sharon L. Pinkerton, Senior Vice President, Legislative and
Regulatory Policy, Airlines for America:
Oral Statement................................................. 38
Prepared Statement............................................. 40
Ms. Wendy Reiter, Director of Aviation Security, Seattle/Tacoma
International Airport, Testifying on Behalf of The American
Association of Airport Executives:
Oral Statement................................................. 44
Prepared Statement............................................. 45
Mr. Michael W. McCormick, Executive Director and Chief Operating
Officer, Global Business Travel Association:
Oral Statement................................................. 48
Prepared Statement............................................. 50
FOR THE RECORD
The Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Representative in Congress
From the State of New Jersey, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee
on Transportation and Protective Security:
Article........................................................ 5
APPENDIX
Questions From Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman for Darby LaJoye.. 61
Questions From Ranking Member Watson Coleman for William Russell. 64
Questions From Ranking Member Watson Coleman for Wendy Reiter.... 64
Questions From Ranking Member Watson Coleman for Michael W.
McCormick...................................................... 64
ASSESSING THE TSA CHECKPOINT: THE PRECHECK PROGRAM AND AIRPORT WAIT
TIMES
----------
Thursday, May 17, 2018
U.S. House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Transportation
and Protective Security,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:11 a.m., in
room HVC-210, Capitol Visitor Center, Hon. John Katko (Chairman
of the subcommittee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Katko, Rogers, Fitzpatrick, Estes,
Watson Coleman, and Keating.
Mr. Katko. OK. The Committee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security will
come to order. Let me apologize for my delay today, this is I
think my third or fourth meeting already today, so I am already
behind and I apologize for that. The subcommittee is meeting
today to assess the Transportation Security Administration's
preparedness for the approaching peak summer travel period.
I now recognize myself for an opening statement. The summer
months have historically seen an increase in aviation travels
this year, and this year is no exception. Following a record-
breaking 2018 spring travel season, the warmer temperatures of
summer are expected to draw even bigger passenger volumes. In
fact, TSA is preparing for its busiest travel season ever, and
expect to screen more than 243 million passengers and crew from
Memorial Day through Labor Day. That is a stunning number.
We have seen this situation before in 2016, when
unprecedented passenger volumes overwhelmed checkpoints across
the Nation. Many people missed flights due to wait times in
excess of 75 minutes, although some reports contended that wait
times were closer to 3 hours. Passengers shared photos and
anecdotes on-line of seemingly interminable airport security
lines and the hashtag iHateTheWait united disgruntled
passengers across the country.
History has a way of repeating itself, and TSA currently
faces pressure from Congress, the public, and aviation
stakeholders to avoid past mistakes. Therefore, the purpose of
this hearing is to evaluate TSA's preparedness to accommodate
the demands of this year's peak summer travel. TSA's
preparedness ultimately ensures the security of the traveling
public, but efficient checkpoint operations also bolster the
free movement of people and goods, which brings in billions of
dollars to the U.S. economy each year.
Conversely, as evidenced by the 2016 wait time crisis, the
checkpoint can also be the chokepoint that prevents the
aviation sector from functioning seamlessly. This in itself can
prove to be an adverse security scenario in a time when threats
to crowded spaces of public areas are an increasing concern.
In short, all roads lead back to the checkpoint, which is
why this hearing today is so important and so timely. While a
variety of factors may have negatively impacted operations at
individual airports, we can point to three major errors that
helped to generate a perfect storm in 2016.
First, TSA's staffing allocation model did not accurately
represent the unique needs or true operation conditions of
individual airports. Compounded with a pervasive transportation
security officer staffing shortage and high attrition rate,
miscalculations prevented TSA from responding promptly to
increase in--to increases in passenger wait times.
Second, deficient communication between TSA and
stakeholders resulted in missed opportunities to share flight
schedules, staffing plans, and facility changes in real time.
Third, TSA significantly overestimated the amount of
passengers who would receive expedited screening by way of
Trusted Traveler Programs like PreCheck or Global Entry.
Specifically, TSA assumed that 50 percent of passengers would
use expedited screening, but only about 27 percent of
passengers used expedited screening in 2016, and we have got to
work on that.
Last Congress, the House and Senate passed my bill, the
Checkpoint Optimization and Efficiency Act, to address the
gridlock at airport checkpoints throughout the United States
and boost enrollment in TSA PreCheck. I look forward to
discussing how this legislation has impacted enrollment figures
and how TSA plans to continue their expansion efforts. We are
nowhere near where we need to be and we have got to get better
at it.
While TSA has come a long way since the wait times crisis
in 2016, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the
similarities between the conditions today and the conditions 2
years ago. Passenger volume continues to grow by about 4
percent a year, and TSA's staffing has not kept pace. Despite
TSA's concerted efforts to recruit and retain quality TSOs, the
TSO attrition rate continues to be troubling and has a direct
impact on the availability of screening lanes at airports.
In turn, the limited availability of screening lanes
translate to longer checkpoint wait times and an increasing
reliance on expedited screening measures to facilitate
throughput. Lately, despite vocal disapproval from this
subcommittee, TSA has been granting PreCheck status to
passengers who have not enrolled in the program in an effort to
reduce congestion at checkpoints. I myself have personally
witnessed this on many occasions.
I have repeatedly expressed to TSA that PreCheck should not
be used to manage traffic, especially under the guise of risk-
based security. In the near future, I will be introducing
legislation to ensure that PreCheck lanes are available only to
PreCheck passengers in PreCheck or another Trusted Traveler
Program.
PreCheck, when used as designed, is a valuable tool that
enables TSA to assess a passenger's risk to aviation security
prior to their arrival at an airport checkpoint. By providing
expedited screening to pre-vetted populations, TSA can direct
additional TSOs to standard lanes to screen unknown travelers.
PreCheck and other Trusted Traveler Programs when used as
designed--not as currently implemented--are undoubtedly some of
the best tools in TSA's toolbox.
However, TSA's efforts to increase enrollment,
participation in the PreCheck program has stagnated after
reaching nearly 6 million travelers. Undoubtedly, many
passengers are frustrated by TSA's frivolous practice of
merging non-enrolled travelers into PreCheck screening lanes
and disappointed in the limited availability of PreCheck lanes
in many airports.
The efficient operation of airport checkpoints combined
with effective management of the PreCheck program go hand-in-
hand when it comes to the overall security mission of TSA. That
is why I am pleased to have two distinguished panels here today
from both the public and private sectors representing a
diversity of perspectives on this issue, and I look forward to
hearing from them on how we can move all forward, in a
collaborative spirit, to provide better, more efficient
security to the American people.
I would like to thank Mr. Darby LaJoye and Mr. Bill
Russell, who--as well as our second panel--for appearing before
this subcommittee today to discuss this important topic.
[The statement of Chairman Katko follows:]
Statement of Chairman John Katko
May 17, 2018
The summer months have historically seen an increase in aviation
travel, and this year is no exception. Following a record-breaking 2018
spring travel season, the warmer temperatures of summer are expected to
draw even bigger passenger volumes. In fact, TSA is preparing for its
busiest travel season ever and expects to screen more than 243 million
passengers and crew from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
We've seen this situation before in 2016 when unprecedented
passenger volumes overwhelmed checkpoints across the Nation. Many
people missed flights due to wait times in excess of 75 minutes,
although some reports contended that wait times were closer to 3 hours.
Passengers shared photos and anecdotes on-line of seemingly
interminable airport security lines, and the hashtag, #HateTheWait,
united disgruntled passengers across the country.
History has a way of repeating itself, and TSA currently faces
pressure from Congress, the public, and aviation stakeholders to avoid
past mistakes. Therefore, the purpose of this hearing is to evaluate
TSA's preparedness to accommodate the demands of this year's peak
summer travel.
TSA's preparedness ultimately ensures the security of the traveling
public, but efficient checkpoint operations also bolster the free
movement of people and goods, which brings in billions of dollars to
the U.S. economy each year. Conversely, as evidenced by the 2016 wait
times crisis, the checkpoint can also be the choke point that prevents
the aviation sector from functioning seamlessly.
This, in itself, can prove to be an adverse security scenario, in a
time when threats to crowded spaces of public areas are an increasing
concern. In short, all roads lead back to the checkpoint, which is why
this hearing today is so important and timely.
While a variety of factors may have negatively impacted operations
at individual airports, we can point to three major errors that helped
to generate a perfect storm in 2016.
First, TSA's staffing allocation model did not accurately represent
the unique needs or true operating conditions of individual airports.
Compounded with a pervasive Transportation Security Officer (TSO)
staffing shortage and high attrition rate, miscalculations prevented
TSA from responding promptly to increases in passenger wait times.
Second, deficient communication between TSA and stakeholders
resulted in missed opportunities to share flight schedules, staffing
plans, and facility changes in real time.
Third, TSA significantly overestimated the amount of passengers who
would receive expedited screening by way of trusted traveler programs
like PreCheck or Global Entry. Specifically, TSA assumed that 50
percent of passengers would use expedited screening, but only about 27
percent of passengers used expedited screening in 2016. Last Congress,
the House and Senate passed my bill, the Checkpoint Optimization and
Efficiency Act, to address the gridlock at airport checkpoints
throughout the United States and boost enrollment in TSA PreCheck. I
look forward to discussing how this legislation has impacted enrollment
figures and how TSA plans to continue expansion efforts.
While TSA has come a long way since the wait times crisis in 2016,
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the similarities between the
conditions today and the conditions 2 years ago. Passenger volume
continues to grow by about 4 percent each year and TSO staffing has not
kept pace. Despite TSA's concerted efforts to recruit and retain
quality TSOs, the TSO attrition rate continues to be troubling and has
a direct impact on the availability of screening lanes at airports. In
turn, the limited availability of screening lanes translates to longer
checkpoint wait times and an increased reliance on expedited screening
measures to facilitate throughput.
Lately, despite vocal disapproval from this subcommittee, TSA has
been granting PreCheck status to passengers who have not enrolled in
the program in an effort to reduce congestion at checkpoints. I have
repeatedly expressed to TSA that PreCheck should not be used to manage
traffic, especially under the guise of risk-based security. In the near
future, I will be introducing legislation to ensure that PreCheck lanes
are available only to passengers enrolled in PreCheck or another
Trusted Traveler Program. PreCheck, when used as designed, is a
valuable tool that enables TSA to assess a passenger's risk to aviation
security prior to their arrival at an airport checkpoint. By providing
expedited screening to pre-vetted populations, TSA can direct
additional TSOs to standard lanes to screen unknown travelers.
PreCheck and other Trusted Traveler Programs, when used as
designed, are undoubtedly some of the best tools in TSA's toolbox.
However, despite TSA's efforts to increase enrollment, participation in
the PreCheck program has stagnated after reaching nearly 6 million
travelers. Undoubtedly, many passengers are frustrated by TSA's
frivolous practice of merging non-enrolled travelers into PreCheck
screening lanes and disappointed in the limited availability of
PreCheck lanes at many airports.
The efficient operation of airport checkpoints, combined with
effective management of the PreCheck program, go hand-in-hand when it
comes to the overall security mission of TSA. That is why I am pleased
to have two distinguished panels here today from both the public and
private sectors, representing a diversity of perspectives, and I look
forward to hearing how we can all move forward in a collaborative
spirit to provide better, more efficient security to the American
people.
Mr. Katko. I am pleased to recognize the Ranking Member of
this subcommittee, the gentlelady from New Jersey, Ms. Watson
Coleman, for her opening statement.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Good morning and thank you, Mr.
Chairman. Thank you for holding this hearing, and I want to
thank the witnesses for both panels for agreeing to be here
today. It is good to have TSA here, because your work is so
important and we always have so many questions and things are
always sort-of very dynamic and moving along.
TSA has, however, had a long struggle with how to more
sufficiently and effectively manage its resources. In 2011, TSA
introduced the PreCheck program for low-risk passengers who
provide fingerprints and undergo background checks to receive
expedited screening--security screening. Used in combination
with intelligence and watchlist-matching programs, PreCheck
allows TSA to focus its limited screening resources more
effectively.
The PreCheck program has, however, had some setbacks.
Unfortunately, by 2013, TSA's efforts to drive more passenger
traffic into PreCheck lanes caused it to adopt a practice known
as the Managed Inclusion, which rely heavily upon behavior
detection officers and iPod randomizing apps to expedite
screening for large members of--numbers of passengers who had
not enrolled in PreCheck.
Last Congress, Ranking Member Thompson introduced a bill to
curtail the use of Managed Inclusion, and after the bill passed
the House, then-Administrator Neffenger directed that the
practice be phased out.
Although Managed Inclusion came to an end in September,
2015, TSA continues to use passenger screening K-9s and other
tools to pre-scan--to prescreen passengers who have not
enrolled in PreCheck and provide them access to expedited
screening.
TSA has said it intends to modify these practices. Given
the evolving threat landscape, it must do so expeditiously.
Every passenger must receive an appropriate level of screening.
TSA must also address the underlying factors that have led to
these practices. TSA has cited a lack of enrollment in PreCheck
and other DHS Trusted Traveler Programs as one reason for their
development. However, these practices may provide a
disincentive for those who would otherwise consider enrolling
in PreCheck, thus inhibiting the growth of the program.
TSA has struggled to partner with industry effectively to
encourage creative enrollment solutions, as the agency withdrew
a request for proposals in 2016 citing ``cybersecurity
concerns.'' I encourage TSA to work through these concerns and
issue a new solicitation.
In addition, TSA has cited growing passenger volume and a
lack of sufficient staffing as major challenges. In the summer
of 2016, we saw unacceptably long wait lines--wait times at TSA
checkpoints, as staffing levels were insufficient to process
the number of travelers. TSA has increased its staff since that
time, but it has not kept pace with increases in passenger
volumes, and the President's fiscal year 2019 budget proposal
does not request enough staff to close the gap.
I hope future TSA budget proposals will be more realistic
when it comes to staffing levels. By increasing Trusted
Traveler Program enrollments and staffing levels, TSA could
take another step forward in developing a risk-based security
model. Excuse me.
I also want to mention an article from this morning's New
York Times, which I would like to enter into the record, Mr.
Chairman.
Mr. Katko. Without objection, so ordered.
[The information follows:]
Article Submitted by Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman
watch list shields t.s.a. screeners from threatening, and unruly,
travelers
By Ron Nixon, May 17, 2018.
WASHINGTON.--The Transportation Security Administration has created
a new secret watch list to monitor people who may be targeted as
potential threats at airport checkpoints simply because they have
swatted away security screeners' hands or otherwise appeared unruly.
A five-page directive obtained by The New York Times said actions
that pose physical danger to security screeners--or other contact that
the agency described as ``offensive and without legal justification''--
could land travelers on the watch list, which was created in February
and is also known as a ``95 list.''
``An intent to injure or cause physical pain is not required, nor
is an actual physical injury,'' according to the directive that was
issued in March by Darby LaJoye, the agency's assistant administrator
for security operations.
The existence of the new watch list, which has not previously been
disclosed, is expected to be discussed Thursday at a House homeland
security subcommittee hearing.
So far, the names of fewer than 50 people have been put on the
watch list, said Kelly Wheaton, a T.S.A. deputy chief counsel.
But two other government security officials who are familiar with
the new watch list, describing it on the condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to discuss it, said that the number of names
on the list could be higher, with travelers added daily.
According to the directive, people who loiter suspiciously near
security checkpoints could be put on the watch list. So could those who
present what the document vaguely described as ``challenges to the safe
and effective completion of screening.''
The guidelines prohibit profiling based on race, religion or
gender, and said those categories could not be used as the sole reason
for including a passenger on the watch list. But the directive said
such factors could be used when they are relevant and fit specific
intelligence.
However, on its own, the watch list cannot be used to prevent
passengers from boarding flights, nor can it impel extra screening at
security checkpoints, according to the document. That has raised
questions about whether it serves a legitimate security purpose, and
has heightened civil liberty concerns over the added government
surveillance.
``If I'm running late, having a bad day and I'm rude to the
screeners, do I get put on the list?'' said Fred Burton, the chief
security officer at Stratfor, a global intelligence company in Austin,
Tex.
``The bottom line is that in the post 9/11 world, do we really need
another watch list--particularly one from the T.S.A., which is not an
intelligence agency?'' said Mr. Burton, a former deputy chief of
counterterrorism at the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service.
Mr. Wheaton said the new list aims to protect airport security
screeners from travelers who previously have been demonstrably unruly
at, or near, checkpoints. He said screeners were assaulted 34 times
last year, up from 26 in 2016.
Matthew F. Leas, a T.S.A. spokesman, said in an email that the
agency ``wants to ensure there are safeguards in place to protect
Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and others from any individual
who has previously exhibited disruptive or assaultive behavior at a
screening checkpoint and is scheduled to fly.''
The United States government maintains a bevy of watch lists.
The most well-known, maintained by the F.B.I., is a large database
of the names of more than one million people--including tens of
thousands of American citizens or legal residents--who are known or
suspected terrorists. Officials rely on that database to compile the
no-fly list that has been criticized for barring travelers based on
mistaken identities, including prominent politicians, celebrities and
young children.
The Secret Service maintains a watch list of people who pose a
potential threat to government officials or buildings. It publicly
discloses the types of information it collects in the database, but not
the names that are on it.
But the new T.S.A. database, according to people familiar with it,
includes travelers who have simply had a verbal altercation with
security officers or have taken other actions that the agency said
interferes in the screening process.
Civil liberties groups said that makes it even more likely that
individuals who do pose not pose a threat to airports or planes will be
swept up in the United States' homeland security system.
``While people on the list are not necessarily subject to
additional scrutiny, it seems likely that agents would single them out
for additional attention, and there is no way to get off the list,''
said Faiza Patel, a director of the Liberty and National Security
Program at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.
She said that because the watch list will be shared with other law
enforcement agencies, ``it will be difficult to control the
consequences.''
Federal security directors, top T.S.A. security officials at
airports and top Air Marshals supervisors can nominate individuals to
be put on the watch list. Only the T.S.A. administrator, his deputy and
the top two officials at the agency's Office of Intelligence and
Analysis may add or remove people from the database.
The directive obtained by The Times does not specify how members of
the public can appeal being included on the list.
Government watchdogs have long criticized such watch lists,
especially after evidence concluding that as high as 35 percent of the
names that are designated for inclusion are either outdated or added
without adequate factual basis. Individuals are denied any meaningful
way to correct errors and clear their names.
In recent years, the government has established rules that are
intended to prevent intelligence agencies from keeping secretive, open-
ended watch lists based on suspicions that are ultimately unfounded.
The T.S.A. security operations have long been criticized for
targeting racial and religious minorities for extra screening. A number
of African-American women have said screeners have searched their hair,
even after the agency said the practice was halted.
Most recently, the agency apologized to Navdeep Bains, Canada's
minister of innovation, science and economic development, after he was
repeatedly asked by screeners at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to
remove his turban. Mr. Bains, who was in the United States to deliver a
speech, is a Sikh whose religion requires him to wear a turban.
The agency later admitted that surveillance video showed that the
screener did not follow standard operating procedures, and said that
screeners had received additional training as a result of the episode.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/us/politics/new-watch-list-tsa-
screeners-.html.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Thank you. This article discusses a
secret watch list that TSA maintains to monitor people who may
be potential threats at airport checkpoints on the grounds that
they may appear suspicious or rowdy. I look forward to hearing
more from TSA about this watch list, as I am concerned about
the civil liberty implications of such a list.
Finally, at a hearing where we were--are discussing
passenger volumes with travel industry experts, I would be
remiss if I did not note some disturbing trends in recent
travel data. While domestic travel continues to increase, the
same cannot be said of international travel to the United
States. According to the Department of Commerce, in just the
first 3 months of the--Trump's presidency, nearly 700,000 fewer
foreign travelers visited the United States than normal,
representing a 4.2 percent decrease and a loss of $2.7 billion
in spending.
Over the first 9 months of 2017, U.S. arrivals dropped by
1.4 percent, despite international travel increasing world-wide
by 4.6 percent. It is plain and obvious that the President's
rhetoric and policies are having a depressing effect on the
desire of foreign travelers to visit our beautiful country.
His racially- and religiously-motivated travel bans, his
obsession with building a wall and separating children from
their mothers at the border, and his disparaging remarks toward
the people of Mexico, Haiti, El Salvador, and the entire
continent of Africa hurt our country's reputation and sends the
message that outsiders are not welcome here. Just yesterday, he
called immigrants ``animals,'' disrespectful, dangerous
language that should never be spoken by a President.
Tourism represents the seventh-largest employer in the
United States, as international travel supports 1.2 million
American jobs, accounting for $32.4 billion in wages. I look
forward to discussing with our travel industry witnesses that
are here today how the President has put their industry at
risk.
Again, I thank my Chairman and our witnesses for coming,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
[The statement of Ranking Member Watson Coleman follows:]
Statement of Ranking Member Bonnie Watson Coleman
May 17, 2018
TSA has long struggled with how to most efficiently and effectively
manage its resources. In 2011, TSA introduced the PreCheck program for
low-risk passengers who provide fingerprints and undergo background
checks to receive expedited security screening.
Used in combination with intelligence and watchlist-matching
programs, PreCheck allows TSA to focus its limited screening resources
more effectively. The PreCheck program has had some setbacks.
Unfortunately, by 2013, TSA's efforts to drive more passenger
traffic into PreCheck lanes caused it to adopt a practice known as
``Managed Inclusion'' which relied heavily upon Behavior Detection
Officers and iPad randomizing apps to expedite screening for large
numbers of passengers who had not enrolled in PreCheck.
Last Congress, Ranking Member Thompson introduced a bill to curtail
the use of Managed Inclusion, and after the bill passed the House,
then-Administrator Neffenger directed that the practice be phased out.
Although Managed Inclusion came to an end in September 2015, TSA
continues to use Passenger Screening Canines and other tools to pre-
screen passengers who have not enrolled in PreCheck and provide them
access to expedited screening.
TSA has said it intends to modify these practices. Given the
evolving threat landscape, it must do so expeditiously. Every passenger
must receive an appropriate level of screening. TSA must also address
the underlying factors that have led to these practices.
TSA has cited a lack of enrollments in PreCheck and other DHS
Trusted Traveler Programs as one reason for their development.
However, these practices may provide a disincentive for those who
otherwise may consider enrolling in PreCheck, thus inhibiting the
growth of the program.
TSA has struggled to partner with industry effectively to encourage
creative enrollment solutions, as the agency withdrew a request for
proposals in 2016 citing cybersecurity concerns.
I encourage TSA to work through those concerns and issue a new
solicitation.
In addition, TSA has cited growing passenger volume and a lack of
sufficient staffing as major challenges.
In the summer of 2016, we saw unacceptably long wait times at TSA
checkpoints, as staffing levels were insufficient to process the number
of travelers.
TSA has increased its staff since that time, but it has not kept
pace with increases in passenger volumes, and the President's fiscal
year 2019 budget proposal does not request enough staff to close the
gap.
I hope future TSA budget proposals will be more realistic when it
comes to staffing levels.
By increasing Trusted Traveler Program enrollments and staffing
levels, TSA could take another step forward in developing a risk-based
security model.
I also want to mention an article from this morning's New York
Times, which I'd like to enter into the record. This article discusses
a ``secret watch list'' that TSA maintains to monitor people who may be
potential threats at airport checkpoints on the grounds that they may
appear suspicious or unruly.
I look forward to hearing more from TSA about this watch list, as I
am concerned about the civil liberty implications of such a list.
Finally, at a hearing where we are discussing passenger volumes
with travel industry experts, I would be remiss if I did not note some
disturbing trends in recent travel data.
While domestic travel continues to increase, the same cannot be
said of international travel to the United States.
According to the Department of Commerce, in just the first 3 months
of Donald Trump's presidency, nearly 700,000 fewer foreign travelers
visited the United States than normal, representing a 4.2 percent
decrease and a loss of $2.7 billion in spending.
Over the first 9 months of 2017, U.S. arrivals dropped by 1.4
percent despite international travel increasing world-wide by 4.6
percent.
It is plain and obvious that the President's rhetoric and policies
are having a depressing effect on the desire of foreign travelers to
visit our beautiful country.
His racially- and religiously-motivated travel bans, his obsession
with building a wall and separating children from their mothers at the
border, and his disparaging remarks toward the people of Mexico, Haiti,
El Salvador, and the entire continent of Africa hurt our country's
reputation and send the message that outsiders are not welcome here.
Just yesterday, he called immigrants ``animals''--disrespectful,
dangerous language that should never be spoken by a President.
Tourism represents the seventh-largest employer in the United
States, as international travel supports 1.2 million American jobs,
accounting for $32.4 billion in wages. I look forward to discussing
with our travel industry witnesses how the President has put their
industry at risk.
Mr. Katko. Thank you, Mrs. Watson Coleman. All the Members
of this subcommittee are reminded that opening statements may
be submitted for the record.
[The statement of Ranking Member Thompson follows:]
Statement of Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson
May 17, 2018
I certainly appreciate the challenging job that TSA has in
accommodating the increase in domestic travelers while striving to
maintain the safe, secure, and reliable air transit that the flying
public expects and deserves. Long wait times at airports do not just
create an unpleasant flying experience, but present broader security
concerns as crowded checkpoints can quickly become soft targets.
While I understand that TSA must find creative approaches to strike
that difficult balance, I do echo many of the Chairman's concerns
regarding the inclusion of unvetted individuals in the PreCheck
program. I addressed some of these concerns last Congress, when I
introduced the ``Securing Expedited Screening Act'' with Chairman Katko
and then-Subcommittee on Transportation Protective Security Ranking
Member Kathleen Rice.
This legislation sought to address security vulnerabilities in how
TSA drove traffic to PreCheck lanes by restricting access to expedited
airport security screening to PreCheck program participants and other
``known'' or vetted passengers. After the bill passed the House in July
2015, TSA ended the practice known as ``Managed Inclusion.'' However,
TSA has more work to do.
While I am fully committed to working with TSA to avoid wait times
like we saw in the summer of 2016, I do believe that expedited
screening should be limited to those who are thoroughly vetted. I look
forward to hearing TSA's plans for getting us to a place where this is
a reality.
Additionally, while I am pleased that domestic travel continues to
grow and interested in hearing TSA's plans to accommodate this growth,
I am troubled by the downturn in international travel to the United
States. I hope to gain more perspective on this recent concerning trend
from industry stakeholders present here today.
Mr. Katko. We are pleased to have two distinguished panels
of witnesses before us today. Let me remind the witnesses that
your entire written statement will be--will appear in the
record.
On our first panel, we are pleased to have Mr. Darby
LaJoye, the assistant administrator for TSA's Office of
Security Operations, here to testify before us today on this
critical topic. In his role as assistant administrator, Mr.
LaJoye oversees airport checkpoints and baggage screening
operations, regulatory compliance, cargo inspections, and other
specialized programs designed to secure transportation.
Previously, Mr. LaJoye served as a Federal security
director of Los Angeles, and was responsible for Los Angeles
International Airport, Ontario International Airport, and Palm
Springs International Airport, with intermodal responsibilities
throughout Southern California and Hawaii. He also served as
the Federal security director at John F. Kennedy International
Airport in New York, and before joining TSA, Mr. LaJoye was in
the U.S. Army in various light infantry and airborne units--
just like my son, who is going to--going to Ranger school in
about a month.
Sir, thank you for your service to this country and for
continuing your service in your current role. You are now
recognized for 5 minutes for an opening statement.
STATEMENT OF DARBY LAJOYE, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, OFFICE OF
SECURITY OPERATIONS, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Mr. LaJoye. Good afternoon, Chairman Katko, Ranking Member
Watson Coleman, and distinguished Members of the subcommittee.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today, along
with Mr. Bill Russell of the Government Accountability Office,
to discuss the Transportation Security Administration's
approach to the upcoming summer travel season and TSA PreCheck.
As the executive assistant administrator for security
operations, I am responsible for overseeing the TSA's front-
line employees who are charged with ensuring the free movement
of people and commerce while safeguarding the traveling public
from a determined and dynamic adversary.
Last year's terrorist plot in Australia reminds us of what
we have known for some time. The threat to aviation is as real
as ever. Current intelligence indicates that commercial
aviation remains a top-priority target, and our adversaries
continue to educate their followers on building and concealing
explosives to evade checkpoint security measures. Meanwhile, a
pattern of less sophisticated techniques and tactics has also
emerged.
In short, attacks today may be sophisticated and well-
planned with a goal of causing massive global economic impacts
or impromptu acts with little preparation other than the desire
to inflict damage and create fear. The atrocities at Brussels
International Airport and Istanbul Ataturk Airport in 2016, as
well as attacks in Nice, Paris, Stockholm, Hamburg, Barcelona,
London, and Manhattan highlight the evolving tactics and
techniques employed by terrorists that target civilians in
public areas.
The global intelligence and security community, including
the aviation security community, must continually reassess our
detection and disruption tactics.
At the same time, the world's reliance on the aviation
network to facilitate the movement of people and goods
continues to grow. On an average day in 2017, TSA officers came
into contact with nearly 2.1 million travelers at one of more
than 440 Federalized airports Nation-wide. And travel volumes
continue to increase. While TSA continues to achieve its
objectives, meeting growing demands comes at the cost of
training and personal leave requirements for our officers.
Those tradeoffs ultimately impact morale, turnover, and
performance. The additional 717 officers included in the fiscal
year 2019 budget request will help address the current
shortfall.
TSA is now preparing for what is projected to be one of the
agency's busiest summer seasons on record. To ensure there are
sufficient officers available to meet the summer demand, TSA
has conducted hiring events at hard-to-hire and high-volume
airports, increased advertising and media outreach to recruit
new hires, and improved the hiring and new employee training
processes. These efforts will ensure TSA's position to
effectively meet projected screening demands this summer, while
mitigating passenger wait times at our checkpoints.
In addition to ensuring availability of staff to meet
increased passenger volumes, both K-9s and enhanced technology
will play an integral role in TSA's checkpoint strategy. This
summer, TSA expects an additional 50 operational passenger
screening K-9 teams as compared to July 2017. Along with
expanded K-9 use, TSA has committed to enhancing checkpoint
screening for the strategic deployment of new and effective
technology.
Presently, TSA is in the process of testing computed
tomography screening systems for use at domestic airport
checkpoints. We expect to have approximately 35 systems
deployed at our labs, in our training centers, or at our
airports over the course of the summer.
Another effective tool to assist with checkpoint efficiency
is a comprehensive Trusted Traveler Program. Currently, there
are more than 13 million travelers in DHS Trusted Traveler
Programs, including 6.4 million enrolled in TSA PreCheck. Since
2014, we have seen the Trusted Traveler population increase by
500 percent.
TSA is also focusing on expanding vetting capabilities and
implementing innovative technology procedures that will allow
us to move to a fundamentally more dynamic system of segmenting
passengers according to risk and applying the appropriate level
of screening.
In closing, TSA remains dedicated to securing the Nation's
transportation systems from terrorist attacks. We will continue
to improve transportation security through a committed work
force and the development and implementation of intelligence-
driven risk-based policies and plans.
I appreciate the subcommittee's continued support of the
TSA mission, and thank you for the opportunity to appear before
you today. I look forward to--look forward to answering your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. LaJoye follows:]
Prepared Statement of Darby LaJoye
May 17, 2018
introduction
Chairman Katko, Ranking Member Watson Coleman, and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the invitation to testify today regarding
the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) PreCheck program and
our preparations for the upcoming summer travel season. TSA appreciates
the subcommittee's oversight and commitment to ensuring the agency has
the tools it needs to accomplish its mission. TSA continues its efforts
to raise the global baseline of aviation security. The agency is
leading by example through intelligence-driven operations, layered
security, and enhanced passenger and crew vetting.
TSA's most important job, as a National security organization, is
to protect the traveling public and ensure freedom of movement for
people and commerce. The adversary we face is determined and committed.
The threat to transportation within our country, and around the globe,
is real and dynamic. TSA addresses this threat by strengthening
operations through developing and maintaining a committed workforce,
refining its processes, and testing and deploying new technology to
improve performance. Noting such, it is imperative to recognize that
the essential element of our agency's overarching success rests upon
having dedicated, well-trained professionals executing our front-line
mission. Our Transportation Security Officers demonstrate exceptional
skills, professionalism, and diligence in meeting the various demands
of their jobs while serving the traveling public on a daily basis.
However, as travel levels continue to increase and outpace predictions,
TSA's workforce is challenged to meet the demands of passenger growth.
Meeting these demands comes at the cost of the training and personal
leave requirements of our officers. Those trade-offs ultimately impact
morale, turnover, and performance. The additional 717 screeners
included in the fiscal year 2019 budget request will help address the
current shortfall.
summer travel season efforts
TSA recently completed a record-breaking spring travel season. From
March 15 to April 15, 2018, TSA screened more than 72 million
passengers and crew members and nearly 45 million checked bags Nation-
wide. This represents an increase of 5 percent over the spring of 2017.
We successfully screened more people and bags than any previous Spring
Break travel period. Ninety-five percent of all passengers waited less
than 20 minutes at the checkpoint and nearly 93 percent of passengers
who were in a TSA PreCheck lane waited less than 5 minutes. Notably,
during this time, TSA was also in the process of completing the Nation-
wide roll-out of enhanced screening procedures for carry-on baggage.
These new measures, which began at a handful of airports in late summer
2017 and are now fully rolled out, are part of our effort to raise the
global baseline for aviation security and to meet evolving threats to
aviation.
TSA is now preparing for what promises to be one of the agency's
busiest summer seasons on record. From the Memorial Day through Labor
Day holidays, TSA expects to screen more than 243 million passengers
and crew members, an increase of 4 percent over the summer of 2017. To
ensure there are sufficient officers available to meet the summer rush,
TSA conducted several Transportation Security officer hiring events at
hard-to-hire and high-volume airports, increased advertising and media
outreach to recruit new hires, and improved the timeliness of the
hiring and new employee training processes. From a workforce capacity
perspective, TSA kept pace with attrition and increased our front-line
workforce by 620 officers since the beginning of the year. Further, we
plan to bring more than 1,000 additional officers into our ranks before
the peak of this summer's travel season in July. TSA regularly monitors
wait times on an on-going basis and is prepared to address challenges
that may arise at particular airports. Although TSA will still have a
workforce capacity gap, these hiring efforts, coupled with additional
overtime resources, will ensure TSA is positioned to effectively meet
projected screening demands this summer while mitigating wait times.
canine deployment
In addition to ensuring the availability of staff to meet increased
passenger levels, canines are also an integral part of TSA's checkpoint
strategy. Passenger Screening Canine (PSC) teams are an essential
element of effective and efficient checkpoint screening. This summer,
TSA expects to field an additional 50 operational PSC teams compared to
July 2017. TSA also augments its PSC teams by providing resources for
another 675 State and local canine teams, which are used for security
in airport public areas as well as other modes of transportation. The
fiscal year 2019 budget request supports 1,047 canine teams, including
372 PSC teams as well as 675 State and local ones. With passenger
levels rising, TSA believes that PSC teams are a cost-effective
resource to meet increasing demands and that growth in this capability
is important for future years.
technology
Another element of our strategy for improving checkpoint operations
is through enhancing technology. Presently, TSA is in the process of
testing Computed Tomography (CT) screening systems for use at domestic
airport checkpoints. Use of CT at the airport checkpoint will enhance
the ability for TSOs to examine carry-on baggage, reduce false alarms,
and improve the detection of prohibited items. The CT program is
currently on track with developmental and operational testing and we
expect to have approximately 35 systems deployed at our test labs, in
our training centers, or at airports over the course of the summer.
Depending on the timing of appropriations, deployment could begin early
in calendar year 2019. Similarly, TSA is working to deploy Credential
Authentication Technology (CAT) units, which are designed to improve
the travel document checker function at security checkpoints. Forty-two
of these units are currently being tested in select TSA PreCheck lanes
at 13 airports across the Nation.
passenger experience: @asktsa and tsa social media
TSA recognizes the American public is a key stakeholder in our
security mission, and that informing passengers ahead of time helps
prepare them for the screening process and improves the overall
passenger experience. TSA's social media presence continues to grow and
has become a valuable customer service tool. For example, our
internationally-recognized and award-winning Instagram account, which
has more than 865,000 followers, highlights prohibited items that are
intercepted at the checkpoint.
Through the AskTSA on-line platforms, TSA's social care team
monitors the @AskTSA Twitter and Facebook messenger accounts to address
passengers inquires in real time, 365 days a year. To date, TSA has
received and responded to more than 450,000 questions from the
traveling public via its AskTSA accounts. This includes more than
110,000 questions on what passengers can bring on planes, more than
33,000 inquiries on TSA PreCheck including Known Traveler Number
resolution, and more than 12,000 responses to help passengers with
disabilities and medical conditions with the security screening
process. TSA's customer-centric, mobile compliant website, TSA.gov,
gets more than 7 million views each month. The recently-revised agency
app, MyTSA, has added features such as TSA PreCheck checkpoint hours, a
graph predicating how busy airport checkpoints will be based on
historical data, live assistance with AskTSA, and a searchable database
of items that can be placed in carry-on and checked baggage. These
efforts aim to make the traveling process more transparent and easier
to navigate for the traveling public.
risk-based passenger screening and tsa precheck
In 2011, TSA launched a risk-based approach to vetting and
passenger security screening. Instead of employing a one-size-fits-all
approach to passenger security screening, the agency's design is to
spend less time with individuals we know more about while focusing a
greater proportion of our security resources on unknown passengers. TSA
PreCheck is a voluntary, expedited security screening program
connecting low-risk travelers departing from the United States with
smarter security and a better air travel experience. TSA PreCheck is
one of a number of Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler
programs that allow enrolled individuals to use expedited lanes when
crossing international borders, and at the airport.
TSA plans to dedicate our TSA PreCheck lanes at airports to pre-
vetted and enrolled Trusted Traveler passengers. TSA is taking a multi-
faceted approach to achieve that goal. First, the agency is focusing on
expanding vetting and notification capabilities. Second, TSA is working
to implement technology enhancements to improve credential
authentication and passenger verification. Finally, we are examining
our screening measures and looking at other innovative ways to quickly
differentiate passengers based on their level of risk.
TSA PreCheck marketing efforts are designed to increase traveler
awareness and encourage enrollments in the program. By increasing the
percentage of travelers that have been vetted and are known to be of
lesser risk, TSA will be better-positioned to provide those individuals
with an expedited checkpoint experience while also applying a greater
portion of its resources to those passengers that require a greater
level of screening at the checkpoint.
TSA has and continues to engage industry to identify private-sector
capabilities to improve traveler identity verification and increase the
public's enrollment access to TSA PreCheck. To increase the number of
Trusted Travelers, TSA has engaged in a marketing program for TSA
PreCheck consisting of a paid advertising campaign, as well as on-going
outreach, marketing, and communications initiatives with stakeholders
from industry and our other TSA PreCheck eligible trusted traveler,
pre-vetted programs. Many of our airline stakeholders and their
associated credit card partners offer incentives for members to join
TSA PreCheck.
Currently, there are more than 13 million travelers in DHS Trusted
Travel Programs, including 6.4 million enrolled in TSA PreCheck. Since
2014, we have seen the Trusted Traveler population increase by 500
percent. There has also been substantial increase in TSA PreCheck as
well. As you may know, the program launched with two airlines in four
airports. Today, more than 50 airlines participate in the program and
TSA has implemented TSA PreCheck lanes at more than 200 airports.
We thank the Members of this subcommittee who have demonstrated an
interest in helping TSA achieve its goal of making our security
measures more effective and adaptable. We are constantly looking at
innovations to facilitate enrollments and screening to achieve more
effective utilization of TSA PreCheck lane operations.
conclusion
TSA is remains dedicated to securing the Nation's transportation
systems from terrorist attacks. We are focused on improving
transportation security through the development and implementation of
intelligence-driven, risk-based policies and plans. I appreciate the
subcommittee's support of TSA's mission. Thank you for the opportunity
to appear before you today. I look forward to answering your questions.
Mr. Katko. Thank you very much, Mr. LaJoye, and I
appreciate you staying under the time limit. That is not always
the way, so thank you very much.
No pressure on you, Mr. Russell.
All right, our second witness is Mr. Bill Russell, the
acting director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office's
Homeland Security and Justice team. In his current role, Mr.
Russell is responsible for leading a portfolio of work on
transportation security issues. This includes assessing
progress the Federal Government has made in effectively
allocating and balancing security resources across
transportation modes while facilitating the legitimate flow of
commerce and people.
Since joining GAO in 2002, Mr. Russell has been the
recipient of several GAO-wide awards, including two Meritorious
Service Awards and two Results Through Teamwork Awards.
Congratulations on your--your awards.
You are now recognized for 5 minutes for an opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF WILLIAM RUSSELL, ACTING DIRECTOR, HOMELAND
SECURITY AND JUSTICE TEAM, U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
OFFICE
Mr. Russell. Good morning, Chairman Katko, Ranking Member
Watson Coleman, and Members of the subcommittee. Thank you for
the opportunity to testify today on TSA's PreCheck program and
airport wait times. My statements are primarily based on our
February 2018 report.
Forty-three thousand transportation security officers,
TSOs, across 440 airports screen 2 million or more passengers
and their baggage each day. TSA's primary responsibility is to
ensure security, but it also strives to balance safety with the
efficient flow of passengers through the screening process.
An inherent challenge in TSA's mission is taking the time
necessary to do the job right and moving passengers through as
quickly as possible. With an increasing number of travelers and
the busy 2018 travel season underway, it is critical that TSA
get this balance right.
The TSA standard for wait times is under 30 minutes for
standard screening, and under 15 minutes for PreCheck or
expedited screening. Our review of airport passenger wait time
data from 2015 to 2017 showed that TSA met those standards 99
percent of the time. We found that TSA collected data to
monitor passenger wait times and throughput, and had tools to
respond to increases when necessary.
In particular, TSA's Airport Operations Center, AOC,
monitored wait times and passenger throughput hourly from 28
airports that make up the majority of passenger throughput
Nation-wide. Our analysis showed the value of TSA collecting
and monitoring near-real-time data. For example, prior to this
approach during the spring of 2016, we found that long
screening queues in excess of 30 minutes occurred across those
28 busy airports. The AOC was created during that period in May
2016 to help address wait time issues.
Since then, each operational hour, wait times are collected
at all open lanes at the 28 airports and reported hourly to the
AOC. The AOC also holds a daily conference call with key
stakeholders such as airlines and airport officials to help
identify challenges. The net result is that wait times averaged
below 30 minutes at the 28 airports from June 2016 to May 2017.
To better manage long lines, we found Federal security
directors at airports noted they can use a number of tools,
such as overtime and moving TSOs from less busy lanes to
congested ones.
Effective use of expedited screening, or PreCheck, can also
impact wait times. Since PreCheck passengers are considered
low-risk and require less screening, increases in PreCheck
enrollment allow TSA to screen passengers more quickly.
Over 2014 and 2015, however, GAO and the DHS OIG reported
concerns about the security effectiveness with the PreCheck
process called Managed Inclusion, in which standard screening
passengers are randomly selected for PreCheck.
In response, in November 2015, TSA modified its risk
assessment rolls for PreCheck, which reduce the number of
passengers automatically designated as low-risk. TSA also
significantly reduced its use of Managed Inclusion. Currently,
TSA only uses Managed Inclusion at airports where passenger
screening K-9 teams are available, but has otherwise
discontinued it.
TSA also recently implemented our 2015 recommendation to
ensure an effectiveness study for the remaining Managed
Inclusion process known as K-9 expedited screening followed
best practices for its design and reliability.
In conclusion, TSA has taken positive steps to ensure it
has near-real-time passenger wait time data to quickly identify
and address long queues at the security checkpoints, and has
taken action to improve the security effectiveness of its
expedited screening program. But continued attention is needed
to these issues in order to avoid problems encountered in 2016
and to successfully manage the summer travel season.
Chairman Katko, Ranking Member Watson Coleman, this
concludes my prepared statement and I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Russell follows:]
Prepared Statement of William Russell
May 17, 2018
Chairman Katko, Ranking Member Watson Coleman, and Members of the
subcommittee: I am pleased to be here today to discuss the
Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) efforts to monitor
passenger wait times and the number of passengers that are screened at
each airport checkpoint, known as throughput, at airports throughout
the United States. As you know, the Department of Homeland Security's
TSA is responsible for protecting the Nation's transportation systems
while also ensuring the free movement of people and commerce. TSA
employs about 43,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who screen
over 2 million passengers and their accessible and checked baggage each
day at nearly 440 airports across the United States.\1\ In the spring
of 2016, unusually long screening checkpoint lines at certain major
U.S. airports raised questions about TSA's process for allocating TSOs
to airports and managing passenger wait times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ TSOs are screening personnel employed by TSA. In this
testimony, references to TSOs do not include screening personnel
employed by qualified private-sector companies under contract with TSA
to perform screening operations at the 21 airports participating in
TSA's Screening Partnership Program (SPP). See 49 U.S.C. 44920. TSA
oversees the performance of screening operations at SPP airports, and
the screening personnel at SPP airports must adhere to the same
screening requirements applicable to TSOs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
My testimony today addresses: (1) How TSA collects and monitors
passenger wait time and throughput data and (2) tools TSA uses to
respond to increases in passenger wait times. This statement is based
on selected findings from our February 2018 report on staffing
allocation and managing wait times.\2\ To perform the work from our
previous report, we analyzed TSA documentation, reports, and data on
wait times and passenger throughput from January 2015 through May 2017
for 28 airports that, according to TSA headquarters officials,
represent the majority of passenger throughput Nation-wide or are
operationally significant. We also interviewed headquarters officials
responsible for overseeing TSA's collection and use of wait time and
throughput data as well as Federal Security Directors (FSD) and their
designees at eight selected airports to determine the tools they use to
respond to increases in passenger wait times and throughput.\3\ Further
detail on the scope and methodology for the previously-issued report is
available within the published product. The work upon which this
testimony is based was conducted in accordance with generally accepted
Government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and
perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide
a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit
objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ GAO, Aviation Security: TSA Uses Current Assumptions and
Airport-Specific Data for Its Staffing Process and Monitors Passenger
Wait Times Using Daily Operations Data, GAO-18-236 (Washington, DC:
Feb. 1, 2018).
\3\ FSDs are TSA officials responsible for overseeing TSA security
activities, including passenger and checked baggage screening, at one
or more commercial airports. See 49 U.S.C. 44933. Some FSDs oversee
more than one airport within a geographic area; thus, not all FSDs are
located at the airports they oversee. Airport operators have direct
responsibility for implementing security requirements in accordance
with their TSA-approved airport security programs. Airport security
programs generally cover the day-to-day aviation operations and
implement security requirements for which airports are responsible. See
generally 49 C.F.R. pt. 1542.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
background
TSA Processes for Allocating TSOs Across Airports
TSA allocates TSOs to airports using its Resource Allocation Plan,
which is intended to provide each airport with the optimum number of
TSOs needed to screen passengers for threats to aviation security, such
as prohibited and other potentially dangerous items.\4\ To implement
passenger screening and pursue efficient operations, in addition to
relying on TSOs, TSA works with officials from airlines and airports,
as well as officials from associations that represent airlines and
airports. At airports, FSDs and their designees work with individual
airport operators and airlines to, among other things, adjust TSA
resources (i.e., TSOs and screening assets such as metal detectors) in
response to increases in passenger throughput at each checkpoint, and
monitor passenger wait times at checkpoints.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ According to TSA headquarters officials, TSA identifies the
number of TSOs for the Resource Allocation Plan based on the number of
positions authorized by the agency's budget, which serves as a
constraint on the number of TSOs that can be staffed to airports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
At TSA headquarters, the Office of Security Operations (OSO) has
primary responsibility for operation of the Resource Allocation Plan
and allocation of TSOs across airports. To allocate staff to the nearly
440 TSA-regulated airports in the United States, OSO is to use a
combination of computer-based modeling and line-item adjustments based
on airport-specific information.\5\ First, the agency is to work with a
contractor to evaluate the assumptions--such as rates of expedited
screening \6\--used by the computer-based staffing allocation model to
determine the optimal number of TSOs at each airport based on airport
size and configuration, flight schedules, and the time it takes to
perform checkpoint and baggage screening tasks.\7\ Second, after the
model has determined how many TSOs are required for each airport,
headquarters-level staff are to make line item adjustments to account
for factors such as differences in staff availability and training
needs that affect each airport.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ According to TSA headquarters officials, the agency uses the
Resource Allocation Plan to determine how many staff hours are required
to adequately staff baggage and passenger screening operations at the
21 SPP airports in the United States operated by private-sector
companies. TSA allocates staff hours to SPP airports based on what TSA
anticipates the cost would be to maintain a staff of TSOs at those
airports. The private companies that operate the SPP airports control
the hiring, scheduling, and allocation of staff at these airports,
although they are required to follow the same TSA standard operating
procedures applicable to TSOs and other TSA employees.
\6\ Expedited screening is a process that TSA uses to assess a
passenger's risk to aviation security prior to the passenger arriving
at an airport checkpoint.
\7\ TSA's computer-based staffing model is a proprietary software
application that uses simulations to determine each airport's work
requirement based on the airport's unique operating characteristics,
such as layout, equipment, and flight data. The software simulates
passenger and baggage screening operations to produce required staffing
levels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2007, we reviewed the Resource Allocation Plan (referred to as
the Staffing Allocation Model at that time) and recommended, among
other things, that TSA establish a mechanism to ensure periodic
assessment of the assumptions, such as passenger and checked baggage
screening rates, underlying the plan. TSA agreed with the
recommendation, and in December 2007 developed and implemented a plan
to periodically assess the plan's assumptions.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ GAO, Aviation Security, TSA's Staffing Allocation Model Is
Useful for Allocating Staff Among Airports, but Its Assumptions Should
Be Systematically Reassessed, GAO-07-299 (Washington, DC: Feb. 28,
2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSA Processes for Collecting Wait Time and Throughput Data at Airports
At each airport, TSA is to collect throughput data on the number of
passengers screened under both expedited and standard screening and
monitor passenger wait times at screening checkpoints. TSA airport
officials are to submit passenger throughput and wait time data on a
daily basis to OSO's Performance Management Division at TSA
headquarters, which compiles the data through the Performance
Measurement Information System, TSA's web-based data collection system.
TSA required FSDs and their designees to collect actual wait times from
2002 through 2007 and beginning again in July 2014. From 2008 through
June 2014, TSA required that FSDs collect data on wait time ranges,
such as between 20 to 29 minutes or greater than 30 minutes.
TSA Information-Sharing Efforts with Stakeholders
In February 2018, we reported that TSA headquarters officials have
taken steps intended to improve information sharing with stakeholders--
officials from airlines and airports, as well as officials from
associations that represent airlines and airports--about staffing and
related screening procedures at airports. For example, we reported that
TSA holds daily conference calls with stakeholders at selected airports
intended to ensure timely communication and to help identify and
address challenges in airport operations such as increases in passenger
wait times. Additionally, we reported that TSA conducted a series of
presentations and meetings to discuss the Resource Allocation Plan,
security enhancements at airports, and airport screening processes,
among other things.
tsa uses passenger wait time and throughput data to monitor airport
operations on a daily basis
In February 2018, we reported that TSA collects passenger wait time
and throughput data and uses those data to monitor daily operations at
airports. TSA's Operations Directive (directive), Reporting Customer
Throughput and Wait Times, provides instructions for collecting and
reporting wait time and passenger throughput data for TSA screening
lanes.\9\ Regarding wait time data, according to the directive, FSDs or
their designees at all Category X, I, and II airports \10\ must measure
wait times every operational hour in all TSA expedited and standard
screening lanes. The directive requires wait times to be measured in
actual time, using a verifiable system such as wait time cards, closed
circuit television monitoring, or another confirmable method. The
directive indicates that wait times should be measured from the end of
the line in which passengers are waiting to the walk-through metal
detector or advanced imaging technology units.
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\9\ TSA, Operations Directive, OD-400-50-1-5F: Reporting Customer
Throughput and Wait Times (December 1, 2016). The wait time and
throughput reporting requirements also apply to the 21 airports
participating in TSA's SPP.
\10\ TSA classifies airports into one of five security risk
categories (X, I, II, III, IV) based on various factors, such as the
total number of takeoffs and landings annually, and other special
security considerations. In general, Category X airports have the
largest number of passenger boardings and Category IV airports have the
smallest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to TSA officials at that time, at the beginning of each
hour, wait time cards are handed to passengers at the end of the
checkpoint line and are collected when a passenger reaches the metal
detector or imaging unit. Closed-circuit television is monitored from a
location other than the checkpoint, such as at the airport's
coordination center. According to TSA headquarters officials, TSA does
not require FSDs or their designees to collect wait times from a
statistical sample of passengers throughout the hour, but rather
requires that one wait time is collected for every operational hour in
all screening lanes. If more than one wait time is collected during the
hour, the directive indicates that the maximum wait time should be
reported. TSA officials at airports we visited for our February 2018
report stated that TSOs return completed wait time cards to
supervisors, who then enter the information into a shared spreadsheet
and eventually into the Performance Measurement Information System.
Each hour's reported wait time is then applied to all of a lane's
throughput for that given hour. FSDs or their designees at Category III
and IV airports may estimate wait times initially, but the directive
requires them to measure actual wait times when wait times are
estimated at 10 minutes or greater.
The directive also requires FSDs or their designees to collect
passenger throughput data directly from the walk-through metal
detectors and advanced imaging technology units. According to TSA
headquarters officials, the machines have sensors that collect the
number of passengers who pass through each hour, and TSOs retrieve the
data directly from the units. All airports regardless of category are
required to enter their wait time and throughput data daily into the
information system no later than 3:30 AM Eastern Time of the next
calendar day so that the data can be included in the morning's Daily
Leadership Report (discussed in more detail below).
To monitor operations for all airports, TSA compiles a daily report
utilizing a variety of data points from the information system,
including wait time and throughput data.\11\ The Office of Security
Operations' Performance Management Division disseminates the Daily
Leadership Report to TSA officials, including regional directors and
FSDs and their designees every morning detailing the previous day's
wait times and throughput figures, among other data points. The
Performance Management Division includes a quality assurance addendum
with each Daily Leadership Report, indicating missing or incorrect
data, to include wait time and throughput data, and TSA has procedures
in place intended to ensure officials at the airports correct the data
in the Performance Measurement Information System within 2 weeks.
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\11\ As mentioned above, Category III and IV airports only collect
wait time data when they estimate the wait times to be longer than 10
minutes, so although the Daily Leadership Report will list Category III
and IV airports, there may be days when no wait time data are reported
for these airports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the Daily Leadership Report, we reported that TSA
utilizes wait time and throughput data to monitor airport operations at
28 airports in near-real time. In May 2016, TSA established the Airport
Operations Center partly in response to the long screening checkpoint
lines in the spring of 2016 at certain airports. The center conducts
near real-time monitoring of the operations of 28 airports that,
according to TSA headquarters officials, represent the majority of
passenger throughput Nation-wide or are operationally significant.\12\
TSA requires the 28 airports monitored by the center to enter passenger
wait time data and throughput data hourly (whereas the remaining
airports are only required to submit data once daily, by 3:30 AM
Eastern Time, as described above) so that officials can monitor the
operations in near-real time. In addition, TSA officials at airports
are required to report to the center when an event occurs--such as
equipment malfunctions, weather-related events, or unusually high
passenger throughput--that affects airport screening operations and
results in wait times that are greater than TSA's standards of 30
minutes in standard screening lanes or greater than 15 minutes in
expedited screening lanes.\13\
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\12\ When TSA established this center in May 2016, they referred to
it as the Incident Command Center. TSA changed the name to the Airport
Operations Center in October 2016.
\13\ In 2007, we reviewed TSA's Staffing Allocation Model and
reported that TSA had a 10-minute wait time goal for passenger
screening (GAO, Aviation Security: TSA's Staffing Allocation Model Is
Useful for Allocating Staff Among Airports, but Its Assumptions Should
Be Systematically Reassessed, GAO-07-299 (Washington, DC: February 28,
2007)). According to TSA headquarters officials we interviewed for our
February 2018 report and the TSA administrator's October 2015 testimony
before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on
Transportation Security, TSA began prioritizing security effectiveness
rather than speed in 2015, in response to concerns regarding security
effectiveness following the completion of the September 2015 DHS Office
of Inspector General Report on covert testing, which used undercover
methods to test TSA operations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
If an airport is undergoing a period of prolonged wait times, we
found that officials at the Airport Operations Center reported
coordinating with the Regional Director and the FSD to assist in
deploying resources. For example, over the course of the summer of
2016, after certain airports experienced long wait times in the spring
of 2016 as confirmed by our analysis, the center assisted in deploying
additional passenger screening canines and TSOs to those airports that
experienced longer wait times. The center disseminates a morning and
evening situational report to TSA airport-level officials and airport
stakeholders summarizing Nation-wide wait times, highlighting wait
times at the top airports and any hot spots (unexpected passenger
volume or other operational challenges) that may have occurred since
the most recent report was issued. In addition to the near-real time
monitoring of 28 airports, the center also monitors operations at all
other airports and disseminates information to airports and
stakeholders as needed.
For our February 2018 report, to determine the extent to which TSA
exceeded its wait time standards, we analyzed wait time data for the 28
airports monitored by the Airport Operations Center for the period of
January 2015 through May 2017 for both standard and expedited
screening. Our analysis showed that TSA met its wait time standard of
less than 30 minutes in standard screening at the 28 airports 99.3
percent of the time for the period of January 2015 through May 2017.
For expedited screening for the same time period at the same airports,
we found that 100 percent of the time passengers were reported to have
waited 19 minutes or less.\14\
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\14\ Although the TSA standard for expedited screening is 15
minutes, TSA does not routinely report the data this way. For expedited
screening, TSA provided wait time data in increments of 0-4 minutes; 5-
9 minutes; 10-19 minutes; and 20 minutes or more and we analyzed the
data in these same increments. These are the similar increments that
TSA uses to prepare its Daily Leadership Report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, our analysis confirmed that the percentage of
passengers in standard screening who waited over 30 minutes increased
in 2016 during the months of March, April, and May as compared to 2015
at all 28 airports. Our analysis also confirmed that reported wait
times increased in the spring of 2016 at selected airports, as
mentioned in the news media. For example, in May 2016, approximately 22
percent of passengers at Chicago O'Hare International airport and 26
percent of passengers at Chicago Midway International airport waited
over 30 minutes in standard screening as opposed to zero percent for
both airports in May 2015, which accounted for the longest wait times
in the spring of 2016. These two airports were part of the 28 airports
for which we analyzed wait time data for the period of January 2015
through May 2017.
tsa airport officials reported using a variety of tools to respond to
increases in passenger wait times and throughput
In February 2018, we reported that FSDs and their staff at the
airports we visited identified a variety of tools that they utilize to
respond to increases in passenger wait times and/or throughput.
TSOs from the National Deployment Force--teams of additional
TSOs--are available for deployment to airports to support
screening operations during major events and seasonal increases
in passengers.\15\ For example, TSA officials at one airport we
visited received National Deployment Force officers during busy
holiday seasons and officials at another airport received
officers during the increase in wait times in the spring and
summer of 2016.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ TSA's National Deployment Force officers support airport
screening operations during emergencies, seasonal demands, severe
weather conditions, or increased passenger activity requiring
additional screening personnel above those normally available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSA officials at selected airports used passenger screening
canines to expedite the screening process and support screening
operations during increased passenger throughput and wait time
periods.\16\ For example, TSA officials at one airport we
visited emphasized the importance of passenger screening
canines as a useful tool to minimize wait times and meet
passenger screening demands at times when throughput is high.
Officials at another airport we visited relied on these canines
in busy terminals during peak periods. According to officials
at two of the airports we visited, the use of passenger
screening canines helped them to reduce wait times due to
increased passenger volumes in the spring and summer of 2016.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ Passenger screening canine teams consist of a canine trained
to detect explosives on passengers and a handler. Airports at which
passenger screening canines are used can achieve a reduction in
passenger wait times through broader use of expedited screening.
Passenger screening canines are allocated to airports through a risk-
based model, with airports with higher passenger throughput rates,
among other factors, receiving more canines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TSA officials at selected airports also utilize part-time
TSOs and overtime hours to accommodate increases in passenger
throughput and wait times. For example, according to officials
at all 8 of the airports we visited, they used overtime during
peak travel times, such as holiday travel seasons, and
officials usually planned the use of overtime in advance.
Additionally, TSA officials at four of the airports we visited
told us they used part-time TSOs to help manage peak throughput
times throughout the day.
According to TSA officials at two of the airports we
visited, they moved TSOs between checkpoints to accommodate
increases in passenger throughput at certain checkpoints and to
expedite screening operations. For example, TSA officials at
one airport we visited have a team of TSOs that terminal
managers can request on short notice. Officials at the other
airport estimated that they move TSOs between terminals about
40 times per day.
Chairman Katko, Ranking Member Watson Coleman, and Members of the
subcommittee, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be pleased
to respond to any questions that you may have at this time.
Mr. Katko. Mr. Russell, you beat Mr. LaJoye. You guys are
on a roll today. Thank you very much. I appreciate your--your
comments, and look forward to your testimony.
The Chair now recognizes myself for 5 minutes of questions,
and I'll pose this to both of you, because I'd appreciate both
of your takes on this. I'd like to know--well, a couple things.
First of all, concerns that I have--and I have articulated
these concerns, and they are nothing new, but two things: One
is the goal has always been to get PreCheck around 20 million
people, and it really seems to have slowed down. We were at 1
million several years ago and bumped up pretty quickly, and
then it has kind of plateaued off to some extent. It seems like
it is going a little bit better.
I know in the Syracuse Airport, once we got a kiosk there,
we went from a very small percentage on PreCheck to more than
50 percent of the travelers on PreCheck. So I'd like to hear
both your of your takes on PreCheck. But I also would like to
hear both of your takes on PreCheck as a--as a form of what you
just mentioned, Mr. Russell, Managed Inclusion, which we made
emphatically clear last Congress, that shouldn't be taking
place anymore, and it is still taking place at TSA.
The concerns we had back then about Managed Inclusion was
that they are not--it is not risk-based security. It is just
moving people through. Now, we understand--and that is what the
genesis of this hearing is today--is to have a discussion
about, are you ready for this crush coming this summer? But as
a backdrop to that, I don't want it to be an over-reliance on
Managed Inclusion-type practices, which we are going to end by
law, because that is the only way I think we are going to be
able to stop you guys from doing it.
So I--and we are going to set a--we are going to give you a
time limit in the bill that we get passed that says that after
this time, no more of this stuff. Because we can't have it. It
is--it is--it is a security gap in our minds. We are--and we
have asked you many times not to, and you still do it. So now
we are going to tell you by law you can't.
So with that being as the backdrop, I would like to hear
about that, but I would also like to hear about your
interactions with respect to industry. So there is a lot in
there. So let us hear about PreCheck and--and Managed
Inclusion, and then let us hear about your interactions with
industry about anticipating some of the wait time issues that
might--might materialize this summer.
Mr. LaJoye. So Mr. Chairman, one of the things we're--we've
acknowledged is that currently we have about 2 out of 10
passengers enrolled in PreCheck, and we really think that needs
to be closer to about 4 out of 10.
Now, that may seem like a fairly modest goal, but we also
understand that, because of the frequency by which--these are
business travelers and leisure enthusiasts--they represent far
and away the majority of all the passengers. We still think--we
are still convinced there is about 66 percent of these people
still aren't enrolled in these.
We have really focused on a couple of different key areas.
The first is just the fantastic partnership we have with
industry. If you get on an airplane today, you are going to see
PreCheck marketing materials available in in-flight
entertainment systems, in in-flight magazines, you will see our
bookmarks in the seat backs, as well as a number of companies
that are making this part of the rewards programs, for--for
banks, and, et cetera, credit card companies.
Recently, our--our vendor has announced that 50 Staples
locations throughout the country, they will have TSA enrollment
centers present.
We also understand that one of the biggest barriers to
enrollment is simply going to where the enrollment center is.
We have 350 enrollment centers around the country, 41 of which
are in airports. I think that is where the partnership we have
with CBP is so critically important, in both--at the very
senior levels of both agencies, we are looking very
aggressively at where we can look at combining both enrollment
centers as well as involve--combining a common portal where,
you know, somebody can go to one on-line system and then sign
up for either TSA PreCheck or--or Global Entry.
So we are thinking, in total, these things are going to
have a positive impact in growing the PreCheck populations.
Mr. Katko. If Syracuse can maybe be used as an example,
like I said, once you put it--and they used to be up in Oswego,
which is 45 minutes north. You had to drive up on crappy roads
just to get to the Border Patrol station to sign up for
PreCheck. When they got it in the airport, it went up to more
than 50 percent of the passengers. I don't understand why you
don't just put it at airports.
Mr. LaJoye. Again, I think that is--is something that we
agree, we are looking very closely at. I think both TSA and CBP
can realize the efficiencies in this as well as making the
process much more seamless for the traveling public. That is
absolutely something we are endeavoring toward.
Mr. Katko. OK, and last, just quickly--then I want to hear
from Mr. Russell.
What have you done to interact with the private sector to
anticipate wait times this summer?
Mr. LaJoye. Well--yes. So, I mean, any success we are now
having is because of partnerships with the industry. Just the
sophistication we see in our models is because we have near-
constant communication with the airlines, we get their volume
forecasts in advance of the summer, I was just last week
meeting with a number of the associations as well as the
airlines. Over the next 2 weeks, I have got meetings planned
with all the major air--air carriers to go over their hub
operations, make sure that we absolutely have the very best
plan, you know, given some of the schedules that they are
seeing.
So very intense focus on working directly with both the
associations, the airports, and the air carriers.
Mr. Katko. Yes, it is critical, because I think--and
Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Katko. I know that because I have about 15 parades that
weekend. But from your standpoint, it is a high travel time, so
I have to--I hope you get with them.
So Mr. Russell, please, your response.
Mr. Russell. Certainly. Just to pick up on the coordination
with industry stakeholders--that is one thing we saw in our
recent report that--especially the daily conference calls that
are held now between some of those stakeholders and the airport
operations center. It is a chance to surface challenges that
may be emerging and help to address those as we receive
positive feedback, both from the FSTs we talk to as well as
some of the key industry stakeholders.
Transitioning to PreCheck, certainly going through the
known enrollment--or the Known Travelers and increasing the
enrollment process is--is the key. Those are the Trusted
Travelers that have had the most vetting, so the closer the TSA
can get to that 25 million goal by 2020, the better.
Mr. Katko. Is--is that achievable? I mean, the--it would be
awesome if they did it, but is that really realistic?
Mr. Russell. When we last calculated the numbers back in
December 2018, it--it--it seemed it was about a--1.9 million
applicants or enrollees, and then when you counted the Trusted
Traveler groups, that brought it up to about 8.8 million. So
that has been an on-going challenge, to go from that level up
to the--the 25 million target.
Mr. Katko. So what do you think needs to be done?
Mr. Russell. We haven't looked specifically at that issue,
but--but certainly, whatever you can do to make that process
easier, and to--to vet and encourage the--the groups, like
active military, DOD civilians, to take advantage of that
opportunity, the better.
Mr. Katko. What--what--what if at--there are 450 airports
Nation-wide. What if the vast majority of airports added
kiosks? What do you think that would do?
Mr. Russell. I--I am not sure. We didn't look specifically
at that.
Mr. Katko. I think that would blow the lid off it. I
think--yes, I think you would get a lot more people signing up.
It is pretty simple to me.
All right. Anything else, sir?
Mr. Russell. Just one thing on the Managed Inclusion. That
is something--in our past work, we have had concerns as well.
Our understanding now is that has been limited to passenger
screening K-9 teams. In our most recent work, the FSTs pointed
that that was a very effective way to help manage the queues.
Our recommendation along those lines was basically to do a
study to look at the security effectiveness of that process,
and our understanding is TSA has done that.
Mr. Katko. You know, I fully believe in the--the K-9
process, and Mr. Rogers told me I had to, but----
[Laughter.]
Mr. Katko. No, but I fully believe in it, but I do think
that when you pay for a service and that service is based on
risk-based security, that people shouldn't be coming into that
and--you know, violating that service area, because first of
all, it is not right. Second of all, far more importantly, from
a security standpoint, we are diminishing our security.
So the K-9s serve a great role, but they--you know, they
should not replace PreCheck, because a K-9 can't go back and do
a background check on you. They can make sure you are not
carrying something you shouldn't, but we all know there are
diversified threats now.
So have--the whole basis of PreCheck is risk-based security
and known--knowing the person before the get--get to the--step
foot at the airport. That is the whole idea of it. We are
violating that--that whole notion when we just let people go
through PreCheck lanes under any circumstances, so it has got
to end. I--I have--pretty sure I have made myself clear on
that.
The Chair now recognize the Ranking Member, Ms. Watson
Coleman, for 5 minutes of questioning.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Thank you very much. I have three lines
of questions, actually all addressed to TSA specifically. I am
going to try to get through them as quickly as possible, so I
am going to ask you if you could respond as concisely as
possible.
The first one is in--in 2016--this has to do with
increasing the number of people who are enrolled in PreCheck.
In 2016, TSA withdrew a solicitation for in--for the industry
to propose new ways to enroll passengers in PreCheck, citing
cybersecurity concerns. Now I heard what you said about some of
the increased activity that you have had with industry, but I
would like to know, does TSA plan to issue a new solicitation
specifically on this issue? If so, when? How does TSA plan to
increase enrollments and participation in PreCheck?
Mr. LaJoye. So, ma'am, with respect to the RFP, we did
cancel the TSA expansion RFP back in--citing the concerns, as
you--as you pointed out. That has been replaced by the UES,
which is our universal enrollment system.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Your universal who?
Mr. LaJoye. Universal--universal enrollment system. So it
would be--it would be across all of our vetting, with TSA
PreCheck, Hazard--you know, HME, as well as TWIC. That
solicitation period is over. We are in sort-of the evaluating
these things, and we hope to award this this fall.
Ms. Watson Coleman. OK. You have any idea when you all are
going to be making a decision as to where to go on this?
Mr. LaJoye. This fall, ma'am.
Ms. Watson Coleman. This fall. I am sorry, I didn't hear
you. OK, thank you.
So taking you back to the New York Times article about the
spokes--this--some--some kind of checklist, that you, or watch
list--secret watch list that you all are supposed to have.
Could you please tell me more about the list, including how
many people are currently on it and what security purpose that
it serves? Can you please provide me with the--with the
directive that initiated it, and any official communications
regarding such a list? Does TSA maintain any other watch lists?
So that is, like, three quick questions.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, ma'am. It is, we will provide back for the
record the actual directives themselves, as they are, you know,
sensitive security information.
Ms. Watson Coleman. The directives?
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, ma'am.
Ms. Watson Coleman. OK.
Mr. LaJoye. There are less than 50 people on this list, and
the intent was--we were seeing an alarming increase in the
number of assaults against our officers. So this is--there is
no additional screening being applied to these individuals, it
simply a means to communicate that a passenger may be arriving
at the airport, and they have either demonstrated a history of
assaulting officers or in trying to circumvent some sort of
security procedure.
So no additional screening, but it does give the local
Federal security directors a heads-up that somebody transiting
the airport has demonstrated a history of--of----
Ms. Watson Coleman. OK.
Mr. LaJoye. Unsafe or--you know, behavior that would have
us concerned.
Ms. Watson Coleman. All right, so I will look forward to
the kind of directive which----
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, ma'am.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Would help me understand. But did--are
there any other such secret wait lists that--watch lists that
you all have?
Mr. LaJoye. Again, outside of the general list that we have
with respect to somebody who would be on a no-fly list, but--
but, no----
Ms. Watson Coleman. OK.
Mr. LaJoye. Again, this--this list is not about the--this
is different, because it is a--this applies no additional
screening to this individual, it is simply an awareness that--
that somebody is going through the checkpoint that has
demonstrated concerning--you know, assaultive behavior in the
past to our officers.
Ms. Watson Coleman. So it is like you are prepared.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, ma'am.
Ms. Watson Coleman. OK. I am--I am really interested in
what resources that you don't have that you may need.
Particularly, do you think that there is a need for additional
officers to be able to respond to what is going to be this
spike in travel? If so, how many? Well, let us deal with that
first.
Mr. LaJoye. Well, ma'am, I think our level of
sophistication in the model as has been described has allowed
us to really leverage resources that we have. So this summer,
we really measure the peak from mid-July to mid-July. So if you
back from our peak from last summer, we have fully 1,600 to
1,800 more TSOs than we did just last summer, in addition to 50
more passenger-screening K-9s.
We have increased overtime use by almost 5 percent, so we
really think that we are in the best position we have ever been
in response to what is to be a 4 percent growth from last year.
Ms. Watson Coleman. So then you don't think that there is
any lack of human personnel that you need----
Mr. LaJoye. No----
Ms. Watson Coleman. In addition to what you already have?
Mr. LaJoye. No, ma'am, I honestly think that, you know,
given what we put in place for the summer and the partnership
with the airlines and airports that we are as prepared as we
have ever been to meet the demands. If you go back to our
spring break, the last holiday season, in addition to last
summer, we have really, you know, limited any sort of impact to
the airports.
Ms. Watson Coleman. So, kind-of last question with regard
to this. How is your retention rate with--with officers? How is
the morale, and what is being done to sort-of deal with the
fact that these individuals are sort-of outside of the
mainstream of how they can move through the system and move up?
Are we doing anything about it?
Mr. LaJoye. Well, thank you for that question. Again, the
morale of our work force is something that the administrator,
all the leadership at TSA pay, you know, very close attention
to. Having been out there in the field, I understand full well,
you know, the importance of the job that they do.
So there is a number of things that--that we put in place.
You know, having heard from the work force, there is a lot of
stress in how they were getting their annual tests. It was
sort-of--it was in a room that was wholly different than what
their day-to-day experiences are, and so the administrator has
put change--wholesale changes to the annual testing for
officers. Much more realistic. Their direct leadership chain is
absolutely involved in this process now.
In addition, the administrator has laid out a plan, because
our officers are being asked to operate exceedingly advanced
technology, in addition to going down to a Federal law
enforcement training center to receive a lot of additional
training, and as our officers are acquiring this new training,
he wants to be able to tie the award money to getting those
additional skills.
Last, what we also know from our officers is that they want
to have confidence that they have the very best technology out
there to do their job. Which is why, you know, the support from
the committee as well as the administrator in getting computer
tomography out there, advance screening lanes; you know, those
are all important things that give our work force confidence,
and I think improve morale.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Absolutely, and it is also important
that they are being paid fair wages, that they have access to
benefits and pensions and moving up, and that they have a
system that allows them to express their concerns and have it
dealt with. So you are--you are all moving in a right
direction, got a lot more to do.
Thank you. I yield back.
Mr. Katko. Thank you, Mrs. Watson Coleman. The now--the
Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Rogers,
for 5 minutes of questioning. Mr. Rogers.
Mr. Rogers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for
being here. I wanted to ask--you talked about have 50 more K-9
teams this July than you had last July. How many do you need?
Mr. LaJoye. Again, right now we are authorized 372. We have
seen about a 180 percent increase in the program over the next
couple of years, so we have really been doubling down on our
efforts in--in Lackland to make sure we have adequate training
and kennel space. It is one of the things we are looking very
closely at as we start getting new technology, number of
officers, how we balance that against the--the K-9. That will
be an important part of what our future budget submissions look
like.
Mr. Rogers. Do you have enough to cover the category
airports?
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Rogers. OK. What is next, as far as your expansion of
that capability?
Mr. LaJoye. Well, I think right now, sir, I--one of the
areas we are focusing on is there is third-party K-9 for use in
the cargo operations, and so we think that shows a lot of
promise for--we have been working very closely with industry
with that, and again, looking at the precision of our model to
how we incorporate how K-9s can fold into that I think is
really, really important.
So from my perspective, the next evolution of how we sort-
of staff airports needs to include how we are utilizing K-9s so
that we can really sit down and make sure we are projecting an
adequate number of K-9s for future budget years.
Mr. Rogers. Well, I saw a fiscal year 2019 budget here
saying that it supports 1,047 K-9 teams, but that includes
State and locals, which make up two-thirds of that. Tell me how
you use the State and local teams.
Mr. LaJoye. Well, they are--they are critically important
to us. I mean, I--as you pointed out correctly, I mean fully
two-thirds of those teams are from our State and local
partners.
Mr. Rogers. Well they--are they explosive detection K-9s?
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Rogers. Are they trained through the Lackland program
or a similar program?
Mr. LaJoye. Those are all TSA dogs, sir. So yes, they
really provide a lot of this, you know, public area, you know,
patrolling, unattended bags in airports. We work very closely--
issues in cargo warehouses. We really rely heavily on our State
and local partners with the use of the K-9s to mitigate some of
the public areas of the airports.
Mr. Rogers. When--do--have you all made a determination as
to when you will achieve the threshold of K-9 teams that you
feel are adequate to meet the National needs?
Mr. LaJoye. I think this----
Mr. Rogers. What is that number?
Mr. LaJoye. I still think that is something we are looking
at, sir. I--I--again, that is really the next evolution of
where I think we take our staffing and scheduling models, is
that--you know, we are still fairly new to the passenger
screening business, as you pointed out, about one-third of the
teams are in use in passenger screening.
So as we mature our model, we really have to understand
with new technology how many dogs we think we really, really
need to manage the airports.
Mr. Rogers. Describe for me exactly what K-9 expedited
screening is. Is that Managed Inclusion?
Mr. LaJoye. No, sir.
Mr. Rogers. How--how does it differ?
Mr. LaJoye. You know, as described earlier, the Managed
Inclusion II that was in use, you know, several years ago
involved the use of the BDOs, and it was very correctly pointed
out a randomized----
Our use of the dogs is enhanced screening. Again, we
believe very well that the dogs are very effective and--as a
deterrent, as well as for sniffing for explosives. So we--we
are very confident that when the dogs are in use, that
substantially mitigated many of the concerns that we have, and
we feel that we can afford those passengers, all of whom have
been screened for explosives, a more expedited process of going
through the checkpoint.
However, we view dogs as an additional layer of security,
not a replacement for anything.
Mr. Rogers. Well--well--I want to ask you--you said ``those
passengers.'' You mean those passengers who are not PreCheck or
in another Trusted Traveler Program?
Mr. LaJoye. The passengers that are screened by the K-9s,
sir.
Mr. Rogers. Are not part of the Trusted Traveler system?
Mr. LaJoye. So I guess it would be any--any--right now, we
use the K-9s to screen any passengers going through the
checkpoint. That may in fact be folks that are already involved
in TSA Trusted Traveler Programs, or standard passengers who
have not been enrolled. We believe, again, that we may see a
dog either screening passengers who are enrolled or passengers
who are not, because we view them as an additional layer of
security, not a replacement.
Mr. Rogers. Yes. Yes, and that is the thing that--that I
think we were concerned about coming in today is--is we had the
perception that you all may have decide--developed a new
category where you were going to just use the K-9s as the
primary layer, and they should just be one of several layers
that you have employed to make sure that these folks that don't
need to be putting bad things on airplanes are able to do it.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir, and we agree.
Mr. Rogers. Let me ask this, Mr. Russell. You made the
point--you said K-9 expedited screening does meet best
practices standard. Is that accurate?
Mr. Russell. The design of the study that they did to
determine the effectiveness of that approach.
Mr. Rogers. You felt like that does--that was designed----
Mr. Russell. Right.
Mr. Rogers. To be an effective way----
Mr. Russell. We had concerns initially that----
Mr. Rogers. That they could measure, I guess.
Mr. Russell. That it wasn't going to align with things like
randomizing the airports selected and sort-of the scope of the
review. TSA took action to--to make sure that the study they
did conduct met the--that sort of criteria.
Mr. Rogers. I see, I see. Last question I had was--Mr.
LaJoye, you said about 66 percent of the people that you
believe should be enrolled in PreCheck are not. Did I
understand that you think the reason why is because it is just
inconvenient for them to find a location to--to sign up?
Mr. LaJoye. That is what----
Mr. Rogers. Not the $100 fee, it is just inconvenience?
Mr. LaJoye. The $80--$85 fee, sir. I--we really honestly
think that the biggest barrier to an existing enrollment
process: Finding a place to go enroll. That is what some of our
market research says. We really think there are still lots of
opportunities, even for those folks who fly 5 to 15 times a
year, which really meets for that target passenger
segmentation, we really think there is still a lot of room for
us to target those people for full-time enrollment.
Mr. Rogers. Yes, I agree. I--when I entered Global Entry,
when I--to go into the interview part, you know, I had to go to
the Atlanta Airport, to the farthest terminal. It was very
inconvenient to do that. I do think that more people would go
in to that, which would get them into PreCheck, if we could
find a way to make those interviews more convenient. Because
all the questions are done on-line.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir, and in fact, one of the things we
are--we are coming up on the 5-year period for folks who signed
up for PreCheck very early on, and so we are putting forth a
plan for those passengers to do so on-line, without having to
go back to an enrollment center. We also think that is
important, in keeping people that are enrolled--keeping them
enrolled.
Mr. Rogers. Right, right.
Mr. LaJoye. Again, pointing back to the really, really
critical work we are doing with CBP, because it--we all agree
that if we can merge programs at enrollment sites and an on-
line portal, we really think that is going to have a positive
impact on the passenger and a positive impact on the overall
growth of all DHS Trusted Traveler programs.
Mr. Rogers. Great. Well, thank you. I yield back.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Katko. Well, thank you, Mr. Rogers. Before we go to the
next question, I just want to note that former Secretary of
Homeland Security Mr. Johnson is here today, and we saw him
walk in, so welcome. It is very strange not to see you at the
witness table, so----
I--I imagine that is the case, so welcome. I will make just
one quick observation that I made--two--two observations. One
is if it is a question of convenience, put the kiosks at the
airports. This--for PreCheck.
The second thing is that, without betraying Classified
information, we know that there are some materials of a non-
explosive nature that are considered lethal threat now that we
have to account for, and--and I am not sure the K-9s were going
to be trained on that. If they--they have to be trained on
that, if that is the case, so we have to keep that in mind as
well. That is yet another reason why only PreCheck should be
PreCheck.
With that, I would like to welcome Mr. Estes from Kansas
for 5 minutes of questions. I am sorry, Mr. Keating for 5
minutes of questions, excuse me, from Massachusetts.
Mr. Keating. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is great to see
you here, Mr. Secretary, again. Mr. LaJoye, thank you. As a
Celtics fan, it is always great to have--gives me a great
feeling that anyone named Bill Russell is in front of us, so
thank you, Mr. Russell, as well.
Now this is just a quick--couple of quick follow-ups. That
list you have--it was the 95 list, I guess it was called in the
Times, or it is under 50 people--there is no reason any
employee should ever have to put up with assault, particularly
in such a stressful job, and it gives me a--a time to comment
on how great my experience has been seeing those people work
under tough conditions.
But I want to just--those 50 people--or, under 50 people,
do they know they are on this list?
Mr. LaJoye. I am not sure if they do or not, sir. But
again, any passenger would have the right to go back through
DHS TRIP if they want to ask----
Mr. Keating. But--but they don't know they are on the list.
So I would think it would be effective if these people, as a
deterrent, knew they were on the list. I think--I think you
should--should, you know, look into that.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Keating. Because if you are going to--you know, affect
behavior, it would be great that they knew they were on the
list, and it would be great if they are on the list, they--if
they had a way to appeal that in case there is a subjective
determination, if someone is hanging--I hang around the--the
security lines before I jump in sometimes, too. I tend to walk
in circles on the phone. So I don't know. I don't want to end
up on a list either, so.
Mr. LaJoye. If I could, sir, I would--that is really not
the--what the intent of the program is for. It is not for
somebody who--these are people that have demonstrated in the
past their willingness to attempt to bypass----
Mr. Keating. OK, I understand, I just want to get onto
another question, but----
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Keating. The--the good thing is, I think, if they know
they are on the list, you might affect behavior better.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Keating. In the future. The best thing to do for
employees is not to have them subject to it at all. So, that is
the thing.
I am curious, too--on--on the subject of another list.
The--I am on Counterterrorism and Ranking on Terrorism and
Foreign Affairs, but--how are you doing with the FBI no-fly
list? How is that functioning? Any problems with that lately?
Mr. LaJoye. No, sir.
Mr. Keating. So no mistakes, no--because you would be on
the--you would know, you are on the receiving end of this.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, from my perspective it is working quite
well, sir.
Mr. Keating. Good. Good to know that, when we have gun
issues that are in front of us about people that can get
explosives legally or a gun legally, and they are on the
terrorist watch list that you say now is running so well, it is
great to know, because the criticism for those people that
oppose that are saying, wow, it is a mess. It is not
functioning well, so we have to be careful of their rights.
I am glad to hear it from your account. You said it in your
testimony, Mr. LaJoye, that some of the revenues will help
address the shortfalls. I just want to make sure--you said they
are help, but if we could--that implies that if you had more
resources, you could do a little better, this summer in
particular when things spike. Any----
Mr. LaJoye. Well, sir, what I----
Mr. Keating. I just want to qualify your words.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, what is--what I would point out is one of
the things that we are very aware of is that at about 45
percent of the largest airports, they have one or more
checkpoints that are capacity constrained. So there are a
number of places where, even if we had more officers, it is not
likely to mitigate sort of any wait time issues, which is why
the work we are doing with the airports is so important.
So as--as they are expanding the airports, we are
monitoring things very, very closely. But for--for this summer,
with fully 1,600 more officers than last summer, well I--I
really do honestly feel that we are in the best position to
meet the summer demand.
Mr. Keating. Yes. We had a meeting with some of the airline
industry, I think last year, too. One of the things that is
difficult--that makes your job difficult is the configuration
of the airports themselves. They are different. Anything that
can be done to help along those lines, or anything we could
do--this is a good chance for you to reach out for some help
from us.
Mr. LaJoye. I will give a lot of the--the airports a lot of
credit. They are wholly involved. I--I know of virtually no
airport that is not in the middle of major construction to make
sure that they are, in fact, adding capacity. A number of the
airports and airlines, you know, especially for the summer, are
getting their employees out there to make sure they are
communicating with passengers if there has been a change.
So--and that is also--I think shows the sophistication of
our model, because one of the things we now do is making sure
at the design phase we are meeting with airports early on to
know that in 3 years, in 2 years, if they are planning for
additional lanes, we make sure we can account for those things
in some of our future budget submissions.
So great work, great partnership with the airports
themselves on this.
Mr. Keating. OK, I will--I will follow up with some written
questions.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Keating. But I do thank you for your work. It is a
tough job, and the people that work for you I think do very
well, and it should be said from time to time.
I yield back.
Mr. Katko. Thank you, Mr. Keating. The Chair now recognizes
Mr. Estes from Kansas for 5 minutes of questions.
Mr. Estes. Thank you, Chairman. We have talked about TSA
PreCheck enrollment, and I would agree that part of the delay
in people signing up is because of the inconvenience of going
to the location.
Using myself as an example, I was one of those travelers
who was probably traveling five times a year before I came into
this role a year ago. At that point in time, the other
motivating factor in addition to the inconvenience of having to
go to the location to sign up for--for TSA PreCheck was roughly
half the time when I went to the airport for one of those five
flights I was automatically put into TSA PreCheck.
I think that is also one of those factors that is really
leading to a slow decline in the--or a--not a growth in the
number of people that are enrolled. I know we have talked about
it here, multiple times about that, and I just wanted to
emphasize that that is something we need to--we need to keep
pushing.
Because I think that is if not as important, it is also a
mitigating factor, and I don't know if that is part of what you
are looking at as well. That is kind of why we are pushing
for--to eliminate that practice.
Mr. LaJoye. It is, and it is something that we agree. This
is more of a natural evolution of what PreCheck looks like. I
remember well the experience from 2016. So, I think it is
important that we sort-of balance the capacity constraints of
the airports, the growth of the TSA Trusted Traveler Programs,
in addition to what that staffing looks like.
But I do agree that it is something we have to very, very
closely consider, given what we are facing in the world today.
We really don't want to, you know, result in large crowds of
people being in front of the airport, but I agree, fully. I
understand the committee's concern with this. It is something
we are very much focused on trying to improve.
Mr. Estes. OK. Let me ask another question and we have
talked about this already, to some degree. Just as we enter
into the peak summer travel season and talked about some of the
things we wanted to do. But I just wanted to see if, maybe, you
could recap what the activities that you are expecting to do
that would help mitigate that? To make sure that that is--that
is the plan you have.
Mr. LaJoye. So, compared to last summer, sir, we have
increased overtime by 5 percent, across the board. We fully
have between 1,400 and 1,600 additional officers than we did
last summer. In addition to 50 more passenger screening K-9s.
One of the other things that we have done, I think, to go
back to show--demonstrate the maturity of our modeling is, the
Federal security directors themselves, having been one, this is
very close to me, they have much more flexibility in how they
utilize their own resources. They can decide at what rate they
want to have part-time versus full-time. They can decide at
what rate that they want to increase their overtime within
their budgets.
There are a number of airports that we also know we have a
difficult time competing, this would attract new talent. So, in
some of these airports, we have increased--we have put our
human capital folks in place for rapid hiring. We are on-
boarding double what we were. We are on-boarding almost 600
additional officers a pay period.
Then there are some places where we are really having to
full-time. We have offered some temporary incentives to attract
people to come work for TSA. So, it has really been a concerted
effort over many--many months to make sure that everybody--all
the leadership at TSA is focused on supporting those front
lines, in addition to the great partnership we have been having
with the airports and the airlines.
Mr. Estes. So, I guess my only comment that I would add to
that is, what I have seen over the last few months, the wait
times are relatively fine in most of the airports that I have--
I have flown through. But my concern is, as we increase the
peak travel amounts, that we are going to run into problems
with that. So I wanted to make sure that those activities got
engaged and done in time for us to use this summer.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Estes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Mr. Katko. Thank you, Mr. Estes. The Chair now recognizes,
Mr. Rogers for some follow-up questions, Mr. Rogers from
Alabama.
Mr. Rogers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to try
to be clear, I am still not clear on the K-9 expedited
screening and its application. My understanding was that you
were using it for people who were not in PreCheck, that you
needed to move a little faster, but they were going through the
standard screening, but in kind-of an expedited lane, as long
as K-9s were added as a layer to that lane. Is that not what it
is?
Mr. LaJoye. It is that, sir. So, it is to--again, any
passenger, today--any passenger going through the checkpoint
could be subject to a passenger screening K-9. That could be
somebody--we could have a K-9 being used to screen passengers
that are already enrolled in TSA PreCheck because, in our view,
it is an additional----
Mr. Rogers. I argue it should be. I think that everybody
should be.
Mr. LaJoye. Yes, sir.
Mr. Rogers. But how does this get the term expedited? How
does that become applicable? If you are--assuming you are not a
PreCheck traveler, my understanding is that is what you are
trying to expedite, is the people who are not PreCheck
passengers.
Mr. LaJoye. I think that is fair, sir. So there are a
number of ways you could go through an airport in an expedited
manner. You could be, you now, somebody who is enrolled in a
Trusted Traveler population and you are going through a
dedicated PreCheck lane. In addition, on the standard lanes,
any passenger with whom they have gone past the dogs and we
know they have been screened for explosives, they go through
the checkpoint at a similar configuration what a PreCheck lane
would be.
So that is really how we----
Mr. Rogers. That is--OK. I am with you now. Thank you. I
just wasn't clear.
Mr. LaJoye. That is all right. It was probably me, sir.
Mr. Rogers. Thanks.
Mr. Katko. Thank you, Mr. Rogers. I just want to make sure
I am clear on the follow-up question now. I was in Fort Meyers
and the line was very long. The K-9s were there. They were
putting everybody through the PreCheck line.
The lane was, said PreCheck. Everybody was going through a
PreCheck lane. So I am not sure that is uniform throughout the
country. Then I am sure that may not be intent. But it is
pretty clear to me that there is--people that are not in
PreCheck that are going into PreCheck, once they go by a K-9,
is that correct?
Mr. LaJoye. That is correct, sir.
Mr. Katko. OK, all right. Thank you very much.
I appreciate both of your testimonies. I would encourage
you to stay for the second panel, just so you can hear what
they have to say about their concerns about wait times this
summer. But I do appreciate everything you are doing. You have
a very difficult job and I commend you for doing it.
I also would be remiss if I didn't commend--a shout-out to
all the officers on the front lines throughout the country, who
do a very difficult job and they don't get paid a ton of money.
There is an awful lot of pride that I see, especially when
I go through Syracuse in the airports and get to know the
people. The level of professionalism is pretty substantial. So
you should all be congratulated for that.
They are doing--they are trying to find the needle in the
haystack every minute of every day.
Like I told my scheduler, you notice you are doing--you
only notice what is going on if you do something wrong, as a
scheduler. It is the same thing with the--with the front lines
there. I mean, you won't know it unless you are doing something
wrong--unless something, a tragedy strikes.
That is a pretty stressful situation for them. They do a
wonderful job and they should be commended for that. So thank
you very much. Thank you both for your professionalism today. I
hope you stick around for the second panel.
We will take a brief adjournment. Thank you very much.
Mr. LaJoye. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Katko. Thank you.
[Recess.]
Mr. Katko. OK, we are back on the record. I would like to
welcome our second panel today for today's hearing. Our first
witness is Ms. Lorraine Howerton, the senior director of
government relations for the U.S. Travel Association. In this
position she is responsible for outreach to advance U.S.
travels legislative priorities in Congress, and for
representing the organization on the Aviation Security Advisory
Committee which has really turned into a really wonderful
organization doing a lot of good work.
Previously Ms. Howerton served as vice president for
legislative affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Association where she spearheaded the creation of the
Congressional General Aviation Caucus. Ms. Howerton is now
recognized for 5 minutes for an opening statement.
STATEMENT OF LORRAINE HOWERTON, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS, U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION
Ms. Howerton. Good morning, Chairman Katko and Members of
the committee. Is this better? Much better. Good morning,
Chairman Katko and Members of the committee. It is my pleasure
to offer testimony for you this morning.
Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to testify on
behalf of the U.S. Travel Association. U.S. Travel is the
National nonprofit organization representing more than 1,200
member organizations across all sectors of the travel industry
that generates $2.4 trillion in economic output, and supports
15.6 million American jobs.
TSA PreCheck has been a major breakthrough in providing
optimum security and improving the travel experience. Today
PreCheck is an established program that is available at more
than 200 airports with 52 participating airlines.
Yet, enrollment is stagnant. Approximately 6 million people
are enrolled and another 2 million have PreCheck as a result of
Global Entry. Efforts to continue the program's expansion
should be a priority for TSA and its expansion should focus on
four areas which we refer to as the four Ps: Process,
promotion, price, and prioritization. We urge the Trump
administration and Congress to place a renewed focus on
refining and enhancing the program to increase participation,
particularly making enrollment more convenient without
sacrificing security.
U.S. Travel offers the following recommendations that would
further improve PreCheck, protect travel or privacy, and give
the American people the best return on their investments of
traveler fees.
We recommend that TSA analyze and develop a process for
spontaneous enrollment. Too often, the current requirement for
two forms of identification is a significant barrier to
travelers enrolling in the program and a modification to only
one document would make it easier for people to spontaneously
enroll. A Real ID driver's license is an example how one
document can serve the security purposes for enrolling in
PreCheck.
We also recommend offering volume discounts and financial
incentive or a cost break to large companies to help spark more
volume enrollments.
The up-front cost of an $85 enrollment fee multiplied by
thousands of employees is a measurable and significant cost
with harder-to-measure returns. Providing quantity discounts to
corporate travel managers, especially those who supply
applicants to TSA for on-site enrollment, may create more
corporate interest.
Helping families also is warranted. We encourage TSA and
its partners at OMB to reconsider the rule for children and
explore a subscription model for fees that would be paid on an
annual basis, not 5 years at a time.
While younger children 12 and under are allowed a parent in
PreCheck, older children cannot. The one-time cost of enrolling
a family of five may be a significant factor for many families
and deter enrollment.
As it relates to checkpoint efficiency and as we head into
one of the heaviest travel seasons, we know it is extremely
important not to have long wait times, and we know that TSA
mitigates the ebb and flow of peak travel by deploying various
techniques to safely move people.
One of the techniques is Managed Inclusion, or as we heard
today, Enhanced Inclusion in the PreCheck lanes. Blending of
populations confuses the traveling public, aggravates PreCheck
customers, and diminishes the value of the program to both the
Government and the traveler.
We understand that Managed Inclusion is being phased out.
However, phasing out Managed Inclusion without phasing in other
strategies and screening techniques to maintain efficiency will
only lead to longer lines and new frustrations. We hope TSA
develops a plan to solve the problem rather than opting to
trade one set of problems for a different set.
Another recommendation we make is for Congress to help TSA
get rid of the road blocks in expanding the number of third-
party prescreening companies. Currently there is one company.
Having multiple companies will drive competition, reduce costs,
and help grow enrollment.
Last, I would be remiss if I did not remind this good
committee that one-third of airline passenger fees collected
are being diverted from TSA aviation security screening to the
general fund until 2025.
Comparing 2013 to 2017, travelers paid $2 billion more in
fees; $3.9 billion versus 1.9 billion, for the exact same
service. Revenue raised from aviation security fees should go
toward securing travelers, not to deficit reduction. We support
solutions to repeal the current diversion.
This concludes my statement and I would look forward to
answering any questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Howerton follows:]
Prepared Statement of Lorraine Howerton
May 17, 2018
Chairman Katko and Ranking Member Watson Coleman I am pleased to
testify today on behalf of the U.S. Travel Association on ``Assessing
the TSA Checkpoint: The PreCheck Program and Airport Wait Times''.
The U.S. Travel Association (U.S. Travel) is the National, non-
profit organization representing more than 1,200 member organizations
across all sectors of the travel industry that generates $2.4 trillion
in economic output and supports 15.6 million American jobs.
Last week, the U.S. travel community celebrated National Travel and
Tourism Week (NTTW), an annual tradition for the U.S. travel community.
It's a time when travel and tourism professionals across the country
unite to celebrate the value travel holds for our economy, businesses,
and personal well-being. This year's celebration marked the 35th
anniversary of the 1983 Congressional resolution that established NTTW.
We were excited to recognize the enduring ethos of the travel industry:
Welcoming travelers from all over the world to experience what makes
this country the best place to visit.
As demonstrated last week, the travel and tourism industry
celebrates the value of travel, but we also recognize the need for
security. U.S. Travel believes that security and efficiency are not
mutually exclusive. Rather, they are equally important and equally
achievable objectives. In particular, the Transportation and Security
Administration (TSA) PreCheck has been a major breakthrough in
improving the travel experience. In October 2011, TSA launched
PreCheck as a pilot program, which was first available at four
airports--Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and Miami. Today, TSA PreCheck is
an established program that is available at more than 200 airports with
52 participating airlines. The program is rightly hailed as one of the
best innovations by the Federal Government in recent years, and has led
to an improved relationship between the traveling public and the
agency.
background
U.S. Travel has long been concerned that an inefficient,
inconsistent, and occasionally invasive screening process would deter
legitimate travelers from traveling. Thus, in 2011, the Association
concluded a year-long expert-led project to formulate recommendations
for travel-enhancing changes to the goals and performance of TSA. Led
by former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tom Ridge,
Congressman Jim Turner, Sabre CEO Sam Gilliland, and American Airlines
CEO Robert Crandall, this blue-ribbon panel issued a groundbreaking
report, ``A Better Way,'' which made 14 recommendations for reforming
TSA, based on the experience of security professionals, input from
industry stakeholders, advice from privacy advocates, and surveys of
travelers. Many of these recommendations were adopted by the agency and
others were the focus of Congressional oversight and legislation.
In 2016, U.S. Travel urged the new administration and the new
Congress to place a renewed focus on refining and enhancing the
operations of TSA through the issuance of the report ``Transforming
Security at Airports: An Update on Progress and a Plan for the Future
of Aviation Security,'' U.S. Travel experts outlined several concrete
recommendations for how the TSA can improve its operations and specific
to this hearing, the TSA PreCheck program.
We recognize TSA is crucial not only to our National security, but
also to the U.S. economy. U.S. Travel surveys have demonstrated that
the public travels less when the system is bogged down by excessive or
unpredictable wait times. These real or perceived failures impose an
immense cost on the American economy. Research found that travelers
would take between two and three more trips per year if TSA hassles
could be reduced without compromising security effectiveness--and these
additional trips would add $85 billion in spending and 888,000 more
jobs to our economy.
We urge the Trump administration and Congress to place a renewed
focus on refining and enhancing the TSA PreCheck program to increase
participation, particularly making enrollment more convenient without
sacrificing security. TSA's mission to detect and deter security
threats to the busiest aviation system in the world while facilitating
the travel of nearly 775 million flyers per year is a complex,
expensive, and extremely important undertaking. However, an effective
TSA is crucial not only to our National security, but also to the U.S.
economy.
Unfortunately, TSA continues to struggle with a tumultuous
budgetary environment, forcing the agency to regularly navigate a
series of fiscal crises amid its usual operational challenges. Notably,
TSA suffered a major budgetary setback when the Murray-Ryan 2013 budget
deal became law. This law mandated that TSA fee increases be diverted
to the General Fund as part of a deficit reduction package, which U.S.
Travel opposed. These fees should have been appropriately reinvested
into enhancing security measures and creating a first-class travel
experience.
As we work with Congress and the Trump administration, U.S. Travel
is pleased to offer policy recommendations and our point of view on
some of the most pressing issues facing our aviation security system--
in particular TSA PreCheck--suggesting reforms that would further
improve security and air travel in America, protect traveler privacy
and dignity and give the American people the best return on their
investment of traveler fees and Government dollars.
recommendations
Improve and Grow the TSA PreCheck
TSA PreCheck offers a faster security screening process to pre-
vetted domestic and international travelers, alleviating long lines and
freeing TSA officers to focus on unknown passengers. Approximately 6.1
million travelers are enrolled in TSA PreCheck and an additional 2
million travelers enjoy TSA PreCheck benefits via their enrollment in
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry program. In
the interest of National security and providing a safe, efficient
journey for travelers, U.S. Travel strongly advocates for the continued
growth of TSA PreCheck. Moving these low-risk flyers quickly through
security reduces crowds in airport waiting areas and, more importantly,
allows TSA screeners to focus their attention on unknown travelers.
TSA PreCheck refocuses resources on higher-risk passengers and
expedites screening of low-risk, pre-vetted travelers. According to
TSA, in April 2018, 92 percent of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less
than 5 minutes to go through security. The best opportunity to ensure
security and get travelers through lines quickly is presented by
effective trusted traveler programs such as TSA PreCheck. The more
eligible flyers sign up for PreCheck, the safer and more efficient the
air travel experience will be for all. Efforts to grow the program
should focus on four Ps: Process, promotion, price, and prioritization.
In 2016, U.S. Travel conducted a study and found that 1 in 5
travelers was deterred by the TSA PreCheck application process. TSA
should analyze and develop a process for spontaneous enrollment. Too
often, the current requirement for two forms of identification is a
significant barrier to travelers enrolling in the program and a
modification to only one document would enable TSA to better reach its
stated goal of 25 million enrollees. Furthermore, it is time for TSA to
stop relying on earned media and start selling TSA PreCheck through a
dedicated and methodical marketing campaign.
We are encouraged by private-sector initiatives to make it easier
to apply for TSA PreCheck, especially through relationships with
companies with a large consumer footprint. For example, in April,
IDEMIA, the current TSA PreCheck contract holder, announced a
partnership with Staples to deploy TSA PreCheck enrollment centers in
50 Staples locations around the country. We also understand that at
least 12 credit card programs cover the cost of TSA PreCheck, and five
travel loyalty programs allow TSA PreCheck to be paid for via points
or similar accumulated activity. National and Enterprise both have
loyalty programs. U.S. Travel reimburses its employees for the full
cost of both PreCheck, and Global Entry.
Reduce the Cost of TSA PreCheck
However, we have been disappointed by the slower corporate adoption
of TSA PreCheck, which may be largely due to the high cost of
reimbursement imposed by the strict $85 enrollment fee. Offering
corporations a financial incentive or cost break may help to spark more
volume enrollments. In terms of companies, in 2016, Microsoft announced
it would reimburse employees for both TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
This decision came after then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson and then-
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker wrote to 100 large U.S. companies
requesting assistance in marketing and promoting TSA PreCheck. The
fact that very few companies have followed Microsoft's lead may be
because the up-front cost of an $85 enrollment fee, multiplied by
hundreds or thousands of employees, is a measurable and significant
cost with harder-to-measure returns. Providing quantity discounts to
corporate travel managers, especially those who supply applicants to
TSA for on-site enrollment, may create more corporate interest.
Additionally, while younger children (12 and under) are allowed to
join a parent in the PreCheck lane, older children cannot. The one-
time cost of enrolling a family of five may be a significant factor for
many families and deter enrollment. We encourage TSA and its partners
at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reconsider fee rules
for children, offer volume discounts, and explore a subscription model
for fees that would be paid on an annual basis, not 5 years at a time.
Improve TSA PreCheck Lane Management
U.S. Travel has expressed repeated concerns about TSA's on-again,
off-again use of programs like ``managed inclusion'' that allow non-
PreCheck individuals into the TSA PreCheck screening lanes. First,
such blending of populations confuses the traveling public about the
TSA PreCheck program and the value to both the Government and the
traveler to undergo a program enrollment. Second, allowing TSA
employees on-the-ground discretion to determine passenger risk profiles
on the spot is both a security risk and a potential for traveler
complaints.
We recognize that arranging security lanes and machines is a
complicated process that does not always create the right mix of pre-
vetted and normal travelers. However, the continued practice of
providing TSA PreCheck access because security lines are too long is a
self-defeating process. U.S. Travel supports the use of passenger
screening canines (PSCs), which increases security and efficiency in
the general passenger screening process, often with greater accuracy
than conventional methods, but if PSCs are going to be used to replace
the screening done in the PreCheck application process, TSA will
reduce the known, low-risk travelers who would otherwise enroll in the
program.
Expedite the enlistment of third-party prescreening companies
TSA has faced several road blocks in expanding the number of third-
party prescreening companies to sign individuals up for the program.
Currently, there is only one third-party prescreening company. It is
worth repeating that there is only one third-party vendor that
prescreens applicants, markets the program, enrolls applicants and
adjudicates their application. This is just not acceptable. There
should be multiple companies. This will drive competition, reduce
costs, and help grow TSA PreCheck, enrollment.
Redirect Airline Passenger Fees to Cover the Cost of and Improve TSA
Screening Operations
Last, but not least, domestic and international travel are key
drivers of the U.S. economy, supporting 15.6 million jobs, $2.4
trillion in economic output, and $258 billion in wages. This growth is
positive for the U.S. economy and job creation as a whole, but these
increases and persistent funding fluctuations are straining TSA's
current staffing resources. It is imperative for TSA to continually
strive to develop and deploy strategies that will optimize its current
workforce.
The 2013 budget deal (known as ``Murray-Ryan'') increased TSA fees
from $2.50 per segment to $5.60, but used the increased Federal revenue
as a general revenue measure, failing to provide the funds to TSA.
Thus, more than one-third of all airline passenger fees collected are
being diverted from TSA aviation security screening to the General Fund
until fiscal year 2025. As a result, travelers are paying considerably
more in user fees but are not receiving the benefits of their fees in
terms of better TSA performance, shorter lines, or better-trained
screeners.
This provision was included in the budget deal as one of many
measures designed to meet revenue targets and avert additional worry
about a Government shutdown or debt limit crisis. Changes to TSA ticket
taxes had been proposed numerous times by the Bush, Obama, and Trump
administrations but were always rejected by Congress as an
inappropriate additional tax on travelers. During this budget
negotiation, however, the breadth of the budget package made it
possible for negotiators to not only include ticket tax increases, but
also to use the additional revenue as an offset for spending outside of
DHS or TSA. Over the objection of the travel and aviation industries,
the provision became law in early 2014, and became effective in July
2014.
Comparing 2013 to 2017, travelers paid $2 billion more in fees--
$3.9 billion vs. $1.9 billion--for the exact same service. This
diversion essentially requires travelers to fund aspects of Government
completely unrelated to TSA's mission--anything from military bands to
education funding to flood control.
While we recognize the emergency nature of the Murray-Ryan deficit
reduction package, Congress must reverse the on-going diversion.
Revenue raised from aviation security fees should go toward securing
travelers, not to deficit reduction. We support solutions to repeal the
current requirement that a portion of aviation security service fees be
credited as offsetting receipts and deposited into the General Fund of
the Treasury. More broadly, we encourage Congress to ensure that
security funding is used to improve all aspects of aviation security
including, but not limited to, staffing, developing technologies, and
checkpoint and airport facility enhancements.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of the
U.S. travel and tourism industry. For U.S. Travel, nothing matters more
than the safety of our Nation and travelers. We appreciate your holding
this hearing to explore ways to make TSA PreCheck, more efficient and
effective both from a security and facilitation perspective.
Mr. Katko. Thank you Ms. Howerton. I appreciate your
testimony. You made some great points we will follow up on. I
am glad that TSA has remained here so they are hearing it as
well. I thank you for staying and taking the time.
Our second witness is Ms. Sharon Pinkerton, the senior vice
president of legislative and regulatory policy for Airlines for
America. In this position, Ms. Pinkerton leads policy
development on legislative and regulatory matters, working
closely with Capitol Hill and the administration.
Before joining A4A, she served as an assistant
administrator for aviation policy, planning, and environment at
the Federal Aviation Administration. Prior to her time at the
FAA, she served as transportation counsel to House Aviation
Subcommittee Chairman John Mica. You are dating yourself. Ms.
Pinkerton is now recognized for 5 minutes for an opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF SHARON L. PINKERTON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT,
LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY POLICY, AIRLINES FOR AMERICA
Ms. Pinkerton. Thank you Chairman Katko. We appreciate--
thank you so much, Chairman Katko. We appreciate the
opportunity to be here today to talk to you about these
important issues.
My real message to you all today is really to say thank
you. I think that as a result of your work, TSAs work together,
partnering with airlines and airports we are cautiously
optimistic that TSA is ready for the summer travel. Four
percent growth, it is significant.
Now the reason for the caution in my optimism is that we
haven't forgotten what happened in 2016. We have talked about
it here today. There was a terrible DHS IG report. TSA
ratcheted the dials on the security equation in one way without
adjusting staffing and other processes. We did end up with 3-
hour wait times, and I think that is something none of us want.
So our lesson learned is that actions have consequences.
Now, that is why, Chairman Katko, we are supporting your idea
of transitioning away from using K-9s and rules to put non-
PreCheck passengers into the PreCheck lane. As long as that is
coupled with the other side of the security equation, which is
as we discussed, getting more people into the PreCheck lane. Or
this other idea that I would like to start putting on the
table, which is having another vetting procedure in place that
will enable some form of known travelers to have a different
experience, not necessarily the PreCheck experience, but a
risk-based security experience.
Said another way, I think we have to start by understanding
that staffing isn't the be-all and end-all. it is one very
important part of the puzzle. Commend TSA for getting us up to
somewhere between 600--1,600 more FTEs year-over-year.
But it is really important that we actually look at this as
a process in improving our security processes, and very
importantly, deploying better technology. So it is with that
big picture that we are making the following recommendations. I
want to talk about PreCheck first.
If we all agree that we don't want to put non-PreCheck
passengers into the PreCheck lane, the question that is still
on the table is: How do we get those PreCheck numbers up? We
are not on a path right now to meet the 25 million that TSA
had.
First, I think we all need to recognize that, for some
reason, despite Chairman Katko's legislation and the
legislation embraced by this subcommittee, the third-party
enrollment program has not delivered. I am not quite sure how
it has gotten all bolloxed up, but I think you need to get to
the bottom of that.
What I would like to think about is what--what can we do,
putting that aside for--for the moment. We heard Darby mention
a little bit. TSA and CBP need to merge their Trusted Traveler
programs. We have got two programs out there. Two sets of
infrastructure. Two sets of locations.
We need to merge those where it makes sense. Instead of
having TSA and CBP compete, let us combine resources and have
one simple, easy to use application process. I think that
working together, TSA and CBP are going to be able to make
signing up more accessible.
Darby mentioned moving toward mobile enrollment, we should
be there today. We are living in a mobile society, there is no
reason for us not to have mobile enrollment. Let us make those
enrollment centers more location-friendly and not so far away.
The schedule needs to be something other than 8 to 4. All the
ideas that Lorraine talked about, about some fee incentives for
families and big groups make a lot of sense.
Let's move on to some other ideas. We believe that, if
Congress truly believes that 99 percent--let us even say 95
percent of the traveling public is not the problem, we are
really looking for that small percentage of people that are a
problem, we need to start thinking differently about the
checkpoint. We believe that passengers who may be willing to
submit commercial data and subject themselves to a different
level of vetting, maybe not as far as the PreCheck level of
vetting, but something that is easier and faster, can get a
different experience; perhaps using dogs, the Managed
Inclusion, et cetera, that is one way to achieve some
efficiencies.
TSA and CBP need to start working together on biometrics.
Right now they are both going in different directions. We need,
again, to harmonize and focus on technology that is going to
enable a more smooth process at the airport, but also increase
our security.
We need to accelerate the CT technology. Again, I want to
say thank you, the language in the omnibus was very helpful,
but that--we need to move that deployment on quicker, we need
more machines out there more quickly. I know you have been to
Amsterdam, I have as well. I think it is good for screeners, it
is good for the detection of the types of emerging threats that
we are seeing.
Can't say enough about dogs, it is one of our highest
priorities. We are not where we need to be, you know, Darby
mentioned they are at 242 right now, they should be at 372. We
are pushing the TSA accelerate their third-party K-9
certification program, both in cargo where they are making more
progress, but also in the passenger environment.
Finally, couldn't agree more with Lorraine, we are
diverting $1.3 billion every year away from security and making
it go to deficit reduction. That needs to change, that money
could come back in, be spend on CT and dogs, and I look forward
to having the conversation with you. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Pinkerton follows:]
Prepared Statement of Sharon L. Pinkerton
May 17, 2018
Good morning Chairman Katko, Ranking Member Watson Coleman, and
Members of the subcommittee. My name is Sharon Pinkerton and I am the
senior vice president of legislative and regulatory policy at Airlines
for America (A4A). Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss
aviation security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
PreCheck program.
Overview.--The safety and security of our passengers and employees
is our single highest priority and we take aviation security very
seriously. We share this common goal with the TSA and work
cooperatively and collaboratively with them every day through programs
like Known Crew Member (KCM) and TSA PreCheck (amongst many others) in
an effort to keep our skies safe and secure with a focus on both
passenger and cargo security.
When talking about the day-in and day-out challenges of aviation
security it is important to be reminded of and to understand the depth
and magnitude of what actually takes place and what is transported by
air every single day. On a daily basis, U.S. airlines--
Fly more than 2 million passengers;
Carry close to 50,000 tons of cargo;
Operate approximately 27,000 flights; and
Serve more than 800 airports in nearly 80 countries;
Given the vast geography and sheer numbers it is exceedingly
important that we approach security in a smart, effective, and
efficient manner that best utilizes the finite resources available.
This becomes even more imperative given the expectation that both
passenger and cargo traffic will grow in the coming years.
Risk-Based Security.--The administration of risk-based security
principles is of paramount importance to aviation security today and in
the future. A risk-based approach recognizes that ``one size fits all''
security is not the optimum response to threats. Risk-based,
intelligence-driven analysis has been a widely-accepted approach to
aviation security for some time. The 9/11 Commission, for example, in
2004 called for thorough, risk-based analysis in evaluating aviation-
security issues.\1\
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\1\ In its final report, the Commission stated: ``The U.S.
Government should identify and evaluate the transportation assets that
need to be protected, set risk-based priorities for defending them,
[and] select the most practical and cost effective ways of doing so . .
. ''. Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon
the United States, at 391 (2004).
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One of our Nation's greatest challenges is to strike the right
balance between managing risk and over-regulation. Enhanced security
and the efficient movement of passengers and cargo are not mutually
exclusive goals, thus Government and industry must continue to work
together to find pragmatic approaches to security that appropriately
balance these issues. If we do not achieve that balance, we will lose
passenger and shipper goodwill, clog up our airports, slow world trade
and in fact diminish the level of security we have currently achieved.
By utilizing and following risk-based principles we provide a security
framework that can be more nimble and responsive to current and
emerging threats and allows TSA to focus resources on high-risk
passengers and cargo.
As we will discuss today, TSA PreCheck is a fundamental layer and
key program component of an effective and efficient risk-based security
system. Today we will share our recommendations for how the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and TSA
can improve enrollment in TSA and other screening programs. We also
believe it is time for a reassessment of DHS screening programs to look
at potential ways to modernize and potentially create categories or
levels of lower-risk passengers that may not be in or want to join TSA
PreCheck but that could be identified and more effectively moved
through security in a manner that takes less TSA screening resources.
The Lesson of the Summer of 2016.--Our industry has not forgotten
the summer of 2016 when many travelers unfortunately experienced
unacceptably long TSA screening lines at airports across the Nation.
The root causes of those excessively long wait times were clear to
many. Looking back at the previous summer in 2015 there was a record-
setting travel season but the system did not experience excessive wait
times. However, in 2016, as a result of reported TSA screening failures
in a DHS Inspector General's report, DHS significantly cut back on
risk-based security efficiencies without making an adjustment to
staffing and other processes to accommodate those modifications. This
is a key lesson learned: Every action taken has consequences, some
unintended. Given the known and immediate impacts, we do not believe
TSA should simply stop the current practice of using canines and a
rules-based approach to give certain passengers a TSA PreCheck
experience without taking action on the other end of the security
equation to ensure that more people are enrolled in TSA PreCheck or
have another vetting procedure in place that will enable a Known
Traveler experience for low-risk passengers. We strongly support TSA's
transition plan to segment and screen passengers differently while they
eliminate the practice of using canines.
If there is a silver lining to the 2016 summer experience it would
be the collaborative discussions and close daily collaboration amongst
Government and stakeholders under Administrator Pekoske's leadership.
As a result, airlines have worked with TSA and airports to institute
best practices. The TSA has also established a National Airport
Operations Center that tracks daily screening operations and shifts
officers and resources where they are needed most based on passenger
volumes. This collaboration is not the exception, it is enshrined in
our daily routine and operations and it has significantly elevated our
security baseline across the entire system. Coordination and
collaboration makes our system more safe and we are now better prepared
on a daily basis than we have ever been.
To that end, we would also like to thank Congress for your
assistance and attention to TSA's staffing. For instance, we know we
will see about 4 percent growth this summer travel season but through
your assistance TSA expects to have an additional 1,600 officers hired
and 50 extra canines on board to deal with that anticipated growth.
That said, we are interested in understanding TSA's plan for
maintaining reasonable throughput if airlines and airports were to no
longer supply contract labor support for non-screening functions as
this support was intended to temporarily assist during the Summer 2016
crisis.
We must realize though that staffing is just one part of the
puzzle. Improving the security process and deploying better technology
are critical elements in our continued efforts to ensure a secure
system that also improves the passenger experience.
In ``assessing the TSA checkpoint'', A4A offers the following
recommendations to modernize our system:
Merge TSA PreCheck and CBP Global Entry and eliminate the
duplication of processes;
Create a new segment of vetted passengers using third-party
commercial data that allows for a form of expedited screening;
Accelerate deployment of Computed Tomography (CT)
Technology;
Allow TSA and CBP to jointly utilize opt-in biometrics to
improve security and facilitation;
Utilize and expand the use of canine teams; and
Stop the annual practice of diverting passenger security fee
revenue.
Merge TSA PreCheck and CBP Global Entry and eliminate the
duplication of processes.--As an industry, we are promoting expedited
screening programs, and in many cases our members are waiving the cost
of enrollment for some frequent flyers and providing space at airports
to set up walk-up processing stations. Airlines also work
collaboratively with TSA on the KCM program, which now processes
250,000+ crewmembers through separate access points. Much work needs to
be done however, while we did see significant growth in the number of
TSA PreCheck enrollees in the aftermath of the summer of 2016, that
bump has since leveled off and we are currently not on a path to reach
the TSA goal of 25 million enrollees. In order to reach and hopefully
exceed that goal, we would specifically recommend that DHS----
Merge Global Entry and TSA PreCheck to create a unified DHS
vetting program;
Fast-track a robust and aggressive marketing campaign
through third-party enrollment options;
Allow mobile enrollment;
Make the enrollment centers more accessible by adjusting
locations and schedules; and
Consider reducing the enrollment fee for families.
Create a new segment of vetted passengers using third-party
commercial data that allows for a form of expedited screening.--We are
eager to work with TSA to create a program that further develops a
risk-based approach to screening. Since we are limited by space at the
airport, we need to find ways to make better use of existing space. If
we believe that 99 percent of the traveling public are lower-risk, we
should begin to segment that 99 percent into categories to provide a
different level of screening based on vetting. For now, those willing
to opt-in to a background check through fingerprints are admitted into
TSA PreCheck. Those willing to undergo a different kind of vetting
using public and personally-supplied data could be put in a different
lane with a different level of screening than either TSA PreCheck or
the passengers about whom nothing is known.
Accelerate deployment of CT Technology.--Last year, the TSA
implemented measures to address concerns about new, intelligence-backed
threats concealed in personal electronic devices (PEDs). Those
measures, requiring greater passenger divestiture, have created longer
passenger lines at some checkpoints. While we applaud TSA's
responsiveness to the threat, we ultimately believe greater investment
in technology must be prioritized so that TSA can both improve its
threat detection capabilities, optimize staffing performance, and
maintain passenger throughput at reasonable levels.
We are particularly enthusiastic about TSA's testing of 3D scanning
or CT because of the enhanced detection capabilities and easy
upgradability. We believe checkpoint CT will help TSA focus on the
threat in real time and will significantly improve screening
effectiveness and efficiency.
We are also encouraged by the support and interest of Congressional
stakeholders and the serious efforts by TSA to test, enhance, and
demonstrate this capability and we applaud the fiscal year 2018 funding
support provided by the Congress to rapidly advance, begin fielding CT,
and replace over 2,400 advanced technology X-ray systems. Some of our
members have gifted CT units to TSA in an effort to expedite testing
and certification of the technology. While this practice isn't
sustainable, we believe it shows our commitment to improving our risk-
based aviation security framework. We urge the committee to continue to
prioritize the deployment of CT across our aviation system.
Allow TSA and CBP to jointly utilize opt-in biometrics to improve
security and facilitation.--If TSA and CBP were to jointly advance the
adoption of biometric technology for identity management in the airport
environment, DHS could both improve security and transform the
passenger air travel experience. A unified DHS approach for collecting
and utilizing biometric data is critical to enhancing security and
leveraging scarce taxpayer and passenger resources. Right now, TSA and
CBP are pursuing different biometric solutions with TSA using
fingerprints and CBP piloting facial recognition, when we should be
pursuing a more harmonized and common-sense approach that improves both
security and facilitation without putting unnecessary cost burdens on
the industry.
Utilize and expand the use of canine teams.--The use of canine
teams has been a tremendous success in both the passenger and cargo
security environment. We would advocate that Congress continue to
support and expand the canine program. We also encourage TSA to
accelerate their third-party canine certification program for cargo and
passenger canines.
Stop the annual practice of diverting passenger security fee
revenue.--U.S. aviation and its customers are subject to 17 Federal
aviation taxes and ``fees'', in addition to standard corporate taxes.
In fiscal year 2017 alone, special U.S. taxes on airlines and their
customers totaled over $24 billion--more than $66 million per day.
Included within those numbers are revenues that are intended to support
activities within the DHS. These ``fees'' include the----
September 11th TSA Passenger Security Fee--a $5.60 fee
imposed per one-way trip on passengers enplaning at U.S.
airports with a limit of $11.20 per round trip; the fee also
applies to inbound international passengers making a U.S.
connection.
Customs User Fee (CUF)--a $5.65 fee on passengers arriving
in the United States from foreign locations to fund inspections
by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); passengers
arriving from U.S. territories and possessions are exempt.
Immigration User Fee (IUF)--a $7.00 fee imposed on
passengers arriving in the United States from foreign locations
to fund inspections performed by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE).
As an industry we have seen an all-too-common trend of either
directly or indirectly diverting the revenue collected from these
``fees'' toward deficit reduction or other sectors of the Government.
For instance, starting in 2001 the TSA passenger security fee had been
limited to $2.50 per passenger enplanement with a maximum fee of $5.00
per one-way trip. However, starting in July 2014, pursuant to the
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, the fee was restructured into a single
per-trip charge and increased to $5.60 per one-way trip. That increase,
over the 10-year period from fiscal years 2014-2023, is projected to
raise $40 billion with $13 billion for deficit reduction. Subsequently,
this diversion practice was continued and extended in both the 2015
Highway bill (Pub. L. 114-41) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
Specifically, these laws have already diverted or will divert----
$390,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;
$1,190,000,000 for fiscal year 2015;
$1,250,000,000 for fiscal year 2016;
$1,280,000,000 for fiscal year 2017;
$1,320,000,000 for fiscal year 2018;
$1,360,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
$1,400,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
$1,440,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
$1,480,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
$1,520,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
$1,560,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
$1,600,000,000 for fiscal year 2025
$1,640,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
$1,680,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
Airlines and their customers now pay $1.6 billion more in TSA
security fees--$3.9 billion (2017) vs. $2.3 billion (2013)--for the
exact same service. A similar story can be told in regards to customs
user fees. The concept of a ``fee'' specifically charged to pay for a
specific service has long been lost in our industry and they have all
simply become taxes by another name.
We would respectfully request this committee do everything in its
power to redirect TSA passenger security fee revenue back where it
belongs: Paying for aviation security. These diverted funds could go a
long way to not only expanding enrollment in TSA PreCheck but also
deploying critical technology like CT.
Importance of Commercial Aviation Sector.--Airlines crisscross the
country and globe every day carrying passengers and cargo safely and
securely to their destinations and is an integral part of the economy.
In 2014, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
economic activity in the United States attributed to commercial
aviation-related goods and services totaled $1.54 trillion, generating
10.2 million jobs with $427 billion in earnings. As of December 2016
our industry directly employed nearly 700,000 workers and contributes 5
percent of our Nation's GDP.
These facts underscore what is at stake and why we need to approach
aviation security in a smart, effective, and efficient manner and make
sure we get it right. The daily collaboration and communication between
TSA and stakeholders will play a vital role toward that goal and
programs like TSA PreCheck are essential to our risk-based security
system being successful.
Thank you, on behalf of our member companies, we appreciate the
opportunity to testify.
Mr. Katko. Thank you very much, excellent points you have
made. As always, I appreciate your testimony.
Our third witness is Ms. Wendy Reiter, who is testifying on
behalf of the American Association of Airport Executives.
Ms. Reiter currently serves as director of aviation
security for Seattle/Tacoma International Airport. We often get
excellent input from them and I am looking forward to hearing--
hearing from you again.
In this position, she leads the port of Seattle's Aviation
Security Department and oversees all TSA mandates that involve
the security of the 16,000 employees and travelers at the
SeaTac Airport.
Prior to joining the port of Seattle, Ms. Reiter was a
station manager for Southwest Airlines and director of customer
service for Northwest Airlines, where she received numerous
awards for leadership and outstanding customer service.
Ms. Reiter is now recognized for 5 minutes for an opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF WENDY REITER, DIRECTOR OF AVIATION SECURITY,
SEATTLE/TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES
Ms. Reiter. Chairman Katko and Members of the subcommittee,
thank you for the opportunity to discuss operations at TSA
checkpoints, the PreCheck program and the airport wait times.
My name is Wendy Reiter and I currently serve as the
director of aviation security for Seattle/Tacoma Airport, which
is owned and operated by Port of Seattle. I also recently
served as vice chair of the Transportation Security Services
Committee of America Association of Airport Executives.
The story of Sea/Tac is one of dramatic growth, from 31
million passengers in 2010 to almost 47 million last year. The
growth is a reflection of the dynamic economy and the global
relevance of the Puget Sound region and Sea/Tac's increasingly
important role in the National airspace system.
At Sea/Tac, we are working overtime to try and accommodate
the increasing demand. On our side, that required major
investment in infrastructure, technology, and staffing. We are
currently in the midst of a $3 billion capital investment
program, and have spent more than $20 million in staffing and
technology to reduce the burden on TSA and increase the
efficiency at their checkpoints.
Similarly, TSA is being required to quickly increase their
capacity to handle our growth. We deeply appreciate the
partnership that we have with them, including both local TSA
staff and TSA leadership in Washington, DC.
I also want to thank the subcommittee for your work on the
Checkpoint Optimization and Efficiency Act, which has resulted
in improved collaboration, communication, and information
sharing at the local level.
However, there is more work that needs to be done. At Sea/
Tac we have set a wait time goal of 20 minutes or less at the
passenger screening checkpoints. We see this effort not only as
a customer service priority, but a critical security measure.
We know the best way to protect a soft target such as an
aggregation of people in the public area is to process them to
the sterile side of the airport as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, meeting that goal has been difficult, in large
part because TSA hiring cannot keep pace with the attrition of
TSA officers to the hiring--to the higher paying jobs that our
region's economy is creating.
To give you a sense of our challenges, we have 32 lanes
currently available for security screening, yet TSA has not
been able to staff more than 26 lanes recently at peak. We are
approaching wait times of almost 1 hour.
To compensate, we rely greatly on TSA's use of passenger
screening K-9s for what they refer to as K-9 enhanced
screening. While we consistently encounter issues with K-9
availability, we believe that these dogs are the best possible
investment that the TSA can make.
Their accuracy is even better than screening machines and
they assess current threats, rather than PreCheck's vetting of
background risks, they provide the greatest efficiency gains,
therefore we have significant concerns about reducing the
ability to offer modified screening for general lane passengers
that are screened by K-9s.
We strongly support efforts to maximize TSA PreCheck
enrollment; however, we know that one of the biggest threats to
airports and passenger security is long wait times that create
soft targets.
Reducing the throughput benefits of K-9s will increase that
threat by more than doubling wait times at Sea/Tac's general
screening lanes. Just this morning, the call out of one K-9
resulted in incident command because wait times that push
general screening lanes onto our escalators.
TSA should also take consideration the impact of wait times
of the deployment of CT machines in the next few years. We
support the added security that advanced technology will
provide, but significant work will need to be done to address
its implementation impacts, such as throughput rates, false
alarm resolutions, and physical checkpoint configurations.
While passenger screening is by law the sole responsibility
of TSA, airports play a critical role a partners. To that end,
we hope that any changes that would impact security would be
done in collaboration with us rather than being imposed.
Thank you for your time today and I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Reiter follows:]
Prepared Statement of Wendy Reiter
May 17, 2018
Chairman Katko, Ranking Member Watson Coleman, and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss operations at
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints, the PreCheck
program and airport wait times. My name is Wendy Reiter, and I
currently serve as the director of aviation security for Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport (Sea-Tac), which is owned and operated by the
Port of Seattle. I also recently served as vice-chair of the
Transportation Security Services Committee of the American Association
of Airport Executives (AAAE).
To put my remarks in context, let me start by sharing the growth
that Sea-Tac has been experiencing, and the impact that has had on our
airport's TSA security screening checkpoints. In 2010, Sea-Tac served
31 million passengers; last year--a mere 7 years later--we saw almost
47 million passengers. This growth is a reflection of the increasing
economic dynamism and global relevance of the Puget Sound region and
Washington State. With innovative companies such as Boeing, Microsoft,
Amazon, and Starbucks along with disruptive start-ups in biotech,
global health, retail, manufacturing, and IT, our economy is booming,
and the Seattle area has one of the fastest-growing populations in the
country. Those individuals and businesses demand more air service.
It is not just the robust Seattle economy that requires Sea-Tac
Airport to scramble to handle this extraordinary increase in airline
traffic; Sea-Tac is playing an increasingly important role in the
National Airspace System (NAS). Over the last 7 years, almost a dozen
new international carriers have introduced service to our airport,
while our hub carriers have expanded flights, destinations, and plane
sizes. As aircraft technology has evolved and as foreign flag airlines
have initiated non-stop service from cities across Asia to U.S. cities,
Seattle's role as a critical U.S. gateway to Asia has become more
pronounced. This circumstance has certainly benefited the Seattle
region, but, more importantly, it has made the NAS more efficient by
effectively replacing a Northeast Asia hub with a U.S. gateway hub.
Quite logically, there is a growing amount of ``feed'' traffic from all
over the United States to Seattle to make the most efficient use of a
gateway that is closer than any other in the United States to the vast
majority of Asian destinations.
The point is that Sea-Tac is serving more and more passengers, and
we are working overtime to try and accommodate that demand. On our
side, that requires major investments in infrastructure, technology,
and staffing, and we are currently in the midst of a $3 billion capital
investment plan, with another $5 billion plan in the works. We've also
invested tens of millions of dollars in additional staffing and on exit
lane and screening lane technologies to do our part to reduce the
burden on TSA and increase the efficiency of their checkpoints.
But regardless of what we do, TSA is being required to quickly
increase their resources and capacity to handle our growth. We deeply
appreciate the partnership we have with them to try and accommodate
this demand, including both our local TSA staff and TSA leadership in
Washington, DC. I also want to thank Chairman Katko and the
subcommittee for your work a few years ago on the Checkpoint
Optimization and Efficiency Act, which was passed into law as part of
the FAA Extension Safety and Security Act of 2016. I was honored to be
part of a roundtable discussion this subcommittee hosted prior to
drafting that legislation and I am glad Congress agreed with so many of
the recommendations of how to address what was then a crisis at the
checkpoints. The result has been increased Federal Security Director
(FSD) discretion and improved collaboration, communications, and
information sharing at the local level. However, there is more work
that still needs to be done.
At Sea-Tac, we have set a goal of getting all travelers through the
passenger screening checkpoints in 20 minutes or less. We see this
effort not only as a customer service priority but also a security
measure, because the best way to protect an aggregation of people from
perimeter threats is to disperse them to the sterile side of our
airport as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, meeting that 20-minute goal has been difficult, in
large part because TSA hiring cannot keep pace with the attrition of
Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to the better, higher-paying
jobs that our region's economy is creating. Although TSA has
implemented faster hiring procedures, increased outreach, recruitment
and retention bonuses and local training, TSO attrition rates translate
directly into fewer operational screening lanes and longer checkpoint
wait times; to give you a sense of our challenges, we are only
averaging around 65 percent of customers making it through the
checkpoints under our 20-minute goal. Those wait times have been
consistently increasing since the fall of 2017.
Because of those TSA staffing challenges, we rely greatly on TSA's
use of passenger screening canines for what the agency refers to as
Canine Enhanced Screening. These dogs have been able to almost double
the throughput of our checkpoints, when deployed, and are an unmatched
resource in helping us achieve our customer service and security goals.
In fact, we believe that TSA canines are the best possible investment
that the TSA can make; they provide the biggest efficiency gains, their
accuracy is even better than screening machines, and they assess
current threats rather than PreCheck's vetting of background risks.
Like most large and fast-growing airports throughout the country,
we consistently encounter issues with the availability of canines;
being staffed to our allotted number of canines; transfer of canines to
other airports; or time spent in training and certification. It took
almost a year and a half between when the TSA model assigned us 10
passenger screening canines to when we reached that level this past
March, and we're still in a situation where some of those 10 dogs are
only temporary transfer canines. This subcommittee knows all too well
the challenges at Lackland Air Force Base with increasing National
canine capacity, and Sea-Tac has been a staunch advocate--in
partnership with U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell--for exploring third-party
canine training and certification options. I would like to thank the
subcommittee for their efforts on this topic, and please consider us a
partner as you work to move forward.
Given the challenges that we already have with TSO and canine
availability, we have significant concerns about plans under
consideration that would reduce the ability of TSA to offer modified
screening for general lane passengers screened by canines. We can ill
afford any changes to procedures that would decrease throughput and
increase security risks to our airport.
We appreciate the importance of increasing enrollment in the TSA
PreCheck program, and the benefit to airport security that comes from
those vetted passengers. But the program is not yet living up to its
full potential; enrollment numbers have consistently been below
projected volumes, and enrollment options are severely limited. We
believe strongly that TSA needs to first follow the direction mandated
by Congress in the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 to
increase the public's enrollment access to the program; to deploy TSA-
approved ready-to-market private-sector solutions; to partner with the
private sector to use kiosks, mobile devices, or other mobile
enrollment platforms to make enrollment easier; and to consider
leveraging existing resources and abilities at airports to conduct
fingerprint and background checks. Only then, once certain enrollment
benchmarks are met, should TSA implement plans to scale back the use of
canine enhanced screening.
Taking these steps in the reverse order is a recipe for disaster--
reducing both customer service and security. TSA PreCheck is an
important threat reduction program, but we believe strongly that the
bigger threat to airport and passenger security is long wait times that
create soft targets for those that seek to inflict harm and terror on
our facilities. Reducing the throughput benefits of canines would
increase wait times at general screening lanes exponentially, erasing
any security gains from incentivizing PreCheck enrollment.
The timing of such changes should also take into consideration the
massive deployment of Computed Tomography (CT) machines in the next few
years. We support the added security that this advanced technology will
provide but understand the significant work that will need to be done
to address some of the challenges that its implementation will bring--
such as throughput rates, false alarm resolutions, and physical
checkpoint configurations. TSA has not yet substantially engaged
airport operators in sharing the plans for deploying the CT equipment,
and our own experience working with TSA on ASL implementation has shown
us the significant amount of time and resources necessary to see the
full efficiency impacts of a new technology.
While responsibility for passenger screening is, by law, the sole
responsibility of TSA, airports play a critical role in partnering with
the agency to help it meet its core mission. Airports perform a number
of inherently local security-related functions at their facilities,
including incident response and management, perimeter security,
employee credentialing, access control, infrastructure and operations
planning, and numerous local law enforcement and public safety
functions. To that end, we hope that any changes that would impact
security would be done in collaboration with us, rather than being
imposed.
The Port of Seattle looks forward to continuing to partner with TSA
to ensure effective, efficient, and innovative security operations for
the screening of passengers. Thank you for your time today, and I look
forward to your questions.
Mr. Katko. Thank you very much, Mr. Reiter, I am kind-of
taken aback by the fact that you have 1-hour wait times. That
is something that is not good from a security standpoint.
It is an unsecure area of the airport, and that is exactly
what we don't want to hear, so we are going to have to address
that in a meaningful manner. We will follow up on that with our
questions, for sure.
Let us see, the next witness here is Mr. Michael McCormick,
the executive director and chief operating officer for the
Global Business Travel Association. In his current role, Mr.
McCormick leads GBTA's growth and globalization initiatives.
Previously he served as managing partner of Hudson Crossing,
LLC, a travel industry advisory business. McCormick has also
served as president of biztravel.com and vice president of
global supplier relations for Rosenbluth International.
Mr. McCormick is now recognized for 5 minutes for an
opening statement.
STATEMENT OF MICHAEL W. MCCORMICK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER, GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL ASSOCIATION
Mr. McCormick. Thank you, Chairman Katko, Ranking Member
Watson Coleman, and Members of the subcommittee. We appreciate
the opportunity to testify today.
I am Michael McCormick. I am executive director and chief
operating officer of the Global Business Travel Association, a
role I have been in since 2009.
GBTA is the world's premier business travel and meetings
trade association, headquartered here in Alexandria with
operations on six continents. We have over 9,500 members, and
manage over $345 billion worth of global business travel and
meeting expenditures annually. GBTA has 38 chapters and
affiliates across this country and operations around the world.
I want to thank Chairman Katko for the time he recently
spent in our New York State chapter. They are still bragging to
all the other chapters about your January visit.
GBTA's annual convention in the United States is the must-
attend event a year for business travel. We will have 7,000
attendees in San Diego this year, with people from all over the
United States as well as 50 countries.
Last year's event had an economic impact of $22.5 billion--
million, just on the city of Boston alone in those 4 days. The
event and the economic impact is just a small sample of the
total impact of business travel and practice. Although we are a
global organization, we are celebrating our 50th anniversary as
a U.S. trade association here in Virginia.
So in July 2017, we released a report that really showed
the industry is responsible for $547 billion, about 3 percent
of U.S. GDP, which is about the size of the domestic auto
market.
We support 7.4 million jobs and $135 billion in Federal,
State, and local taxes. You know, we always say that business
travel drives business growth. Companies invest in business
travel to drive new business, create new jobs, and build
shareholder value.
But as this busy summer season ramps up, we are concerned--
as all of you are--about the past travel problems in screening
as well as past statements and policies on foreign visitation,
and the impact that has, not only in 2018 but beyond.
Secure and efficient travel is a key platform in our
legislative policy. We have been a supporter of PreCheck since
the first iteration of registered traveler and because business
travelers take over 500 million domestic business trips a year
in this country alone.
But our surveys cite that moving through airport security
is one of the largest pain points still to this day. PreCheck
clearly offers travelers a risk-based intelligence--you know,
intelligence-driven aviation security that is safe, fast, and
efficient. Time is money for business travelers, and
inefficient procedures reduce business travel and a hassle
factor that hurts the economy. We have found that TSA PreCheck
not only improves the airport screening process, but the entire
travel experience by a significant amount.
However, the current practice of allowing non-TSA PreCheck
members into the security lines continues to be voiced
frequently as a concern by travelers enrolled in the program.
It is our belief that this continued practice undermines the
impetus to enroll, and calls into question the entire premise
of the program, which is pre-screening travelers through--who,
through background checks, have been identified as safe before
they arrive at the airport.
We need to put an end to this practice. GBTA fully supports
the work done by the committee to limit those not only cleared
for PreCheck to be allowed in those lanes. GBTA is prepared to
support new legislation to prohibit the practice.
As we saw in the summer of 2016, TSA PreCheck cannot be the
sole answer to long security lines. In GBTA's opinion, accurate
travel forecasts, well-thought-out policies, and solid analysis
of historical data like our own business travel index are key
to TSA's ability to adequately staff checkpoints.
Our most frequent findings show that U.S.-origin business
for travel is expected to accelerate significantly in 2018,
advancing 6.1 percent followed by roughly 7 percent growth in
2019 and 2020.
Business travel gains have not reached this level since
2011. But also in these findings is an unusually high impact of
many global uncertainties. The Global Economic Policy
Uncertainty Index, which began in 1997 has hit an all-time 20-
year high.
We are at a time of conflicting and sometimes seemingly
contradictory views on how the business travel marketplace is
trending and what the future holds. On one hand as lower
corporate taxes are pushed forward and business regulations are
rolled back, some would argue that business travel is healthy.
But other underlying factors have decidedly more negative
impact on the future of business travel, including trade policy
renegotiation, terrorism, travel and immigration bans,
sanctions, electronic bans, and geopolitical tensions.
GBTA is concerned that this uncertainty along with on-going
rhetoric and policies will send the message that the United
States is closed for in-bound global business. This dampening
of demand for the United States as a business travel
destination could cause a lasting negative economic impact that
is masked in the near term by offsetting economic policies.
This began with the current administration's first travel
ban, which cost $185 million in business travel bookings in
just 1 week. Then with a second, then a third ban followed
which is awaiting ruling from the Supreme Court, driving
further uncertainty.
There is no question that uncertainty is bad for business
travel and bad for our role in the global economy. When we
looked at our uncertainty forecast last year, the impact that
it was having was significant. We projected a loss of $1.3
billion in overall travel-related expenditures in the United
States, which includes hotels, food, car rental, shopping, all
the ancillary expenses. That included $250 million lost in
spending from in-bound travelers from Europe and the Middle
East alone. Finally our new forecast coming out will be out in
August, looking at not only last year's total numbers, but the
impact going forward.
So looking forward, again we are really concerned about all
of this, as it affects meetings and business travel. When you
are looking at those--that planning--that business is planned 1
to 2 years out. We will only begin to see the impact of these
decisions this year.
So again, it goes without saying that GBTA strongly
supports all of our efforts to keep the skies, borders, and
country safe. We continue to be proponent for expanding proven
security programs. I think a lot of the discussion that we have
talked about here today so far and the questions coming
forward--we have opportunities.
I think there has been buy-in from TSA at the top, but not
always the action we are looking for. So again, we have to find
ways to look at the cumulative affect of all of these policies.
Again, create the--change the rhetoric and the perception that
United States is closed for business.
GBTA stands ready to improve the travel process and to make
sure that this becomes a reality. Again, we thank you again for
the opportunity to be here today.
[The prepared statement of Mr. McCormick follows:]
Prepared Statement of Michael W. McCormick
May 17, 2018
Chairman Katko, Ranking Member Watson Coleman, and Members of the
subcommittee: My name is Michael W. McCormick, and I am executive
director and chief operating officer of the Global Business Travel
Association--a role I have served in since 2009. Thank you for the
opportunity to testify regarding business travelers' perspective and
perception on the TSA Checkpoints, the expedited traveler program
PreCheck and the impact policy announcements and security management
can have on business travel.
The Global Business Travel Association (``GBTA'') is the world's
premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered
in the Washington, DC area with operations on six continents. GBTA's
9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business
travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA delivers world-class
education, events, research, advocacy, and media to a growing global
network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active
contacts.
GBTA has 38 chapters and affiliates across this country. GBTA's
annual Convention in the United States is the must-attend event of the
year for business travel. This August's event in San Diego will welcome
over 7,000 attendees from across the United States as well as over 50
countries. Last year's event had an economic impact of $22.5 million on
the city of Boston. This event and economic impact is a small sample
size of the total impact of business travel in practice. Although we
are a global organization, our roots are in our history here as we
celebrate our 50th anniversary as a U.S.-led trade association
headquartered in Virginia.
u.s. economic benefits of business travel
In July 2017, GBTA released the ``The U.S. Business Travel Economic
Impact Report''. This report as its name implies, shows the industry
was responsible for about 3 percent ($547 billion) of U.S. GDP in 2016.
The business travel industry supports 7.4 million jobs and generated
$135 billion in Federal, State, and local taxes. Much of business
travel's contribution to the economy accrues directly to industries
that serve business travelers, but their supply chain beneficiaries
received an additional indirect contribution of $132 billion.
Based on these numbers, it cannot be overstated how important
travel is to the U.S. economy . . . or any economy. As we always say,
``Business travel drives business growth''. Companies invest in
business travel to drive new business, create new jobs, and build
shareholder value. But as the busy summer travel season ramps up, GBTA
is concerned past travel problems in screening as well as past
statements and policies on foreign visitation will impact the rest of
2018 and beyond.
tsa precheck
The Nation's businesses spent $424 billion to send travelers out on
the road for 514.4 million domestic business trips including roughly
144 million round-trip flights. Because of this mass of travelers, GBTA
has made secure and efficient travel a key platform of GBTA's
legislative policy. GBTA has been a supporter of TSA PreCheck since its
first iteration as Registered Traveler. This support stems from
understanding the issues that impact business travel. GBTA surveys of
business travelers consistently cite moving through airport security as
one of the largest pain points. TSA PreCheck offers business travelers
a risk-based, intelligence-driven aviation security that is safe, fast,
and efficient. Time is money for business travelers, and inefficient
procedures reduce business travel due to the ``hassle factor'' and hurt
the economy.
GBTA's ``Business Traveler Sentiment Index'' profiles business
travelers and our research shows TSA PreCheck enrollees are
significantly more satisfied with air travel than those not enrolled.
Two-thirds (66 percent) of travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck are
satisfied with getting through airport security, compared with just 47
percent of business travelers not enrolled in the program. More
striking is the impact the program has on the overall travel
experience, 66 percent report satisfaction, compared to 54 percent for
those not enrolled.
mitigation strategy
GBTA believes in TSA PreCheck and continues to work with Congress
and TSA to expand its marketing opportunity to grow the population
enrollment. GBTA believes increased marketing and expanded third-party
enrollment are vital to TSA achieving its goal of 25 million enrollees.
However, the current practice of allowing non-TSA PreCheck members
into the security lines continues to be voiced frequently as a concern
by travelers enrolled in the program. GBTA fully supports the work done
by the committee to limit only those cleared for TSA PreCheck to be
allowed in the lanes. And GBTA is prepared to support new legislation
to prohibit this.
GBTA understands TSA has concerns over the impact this restriction
may have on the other screening lanes. However, it is GBTA's belief
that this continued practice undermines the impetus to enroll and calls
into question the entire premise of the program, which is prescreening
travelers who through background checks have been identified as
``safe'' before they arrive at the airport. It's time to finally put an
end to this practice, which confers all the benefits of PreCheck
without requiring any of the burdens.
While GBTA believes in the risk-based approach, as we saw in the
Summer of 2016, TSA PreCheck cannot be the sole answer to long security
lines. In GBTA's opinion, accurate travel numbers, well-thought-out
policies and solid analysis of historical data and forecasts, like the
``GBTA BTI Outlook--Annual Global Report & Forecast'' are key to TSA's
ability to adequately staff checkpoints.
The BTI's most recent findings show business travel spending is
expected to accelerate significantly in 2018, advancing 6.1 percent,
followed by roughly 7.0 percent growth in both 2019 and 2020. Business
travel spending gains have not reached this level since 2011. Yet, also
included in the findings was an unusually high impact of many global
uncertainties. The Global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index, which
began in 1997, has hit an all-time, 20-year high.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
We are at a time of conflicting and sometimes seemingly
contradictory views on how the business travel marketplace is
trending--and what the future holds. On one hand, as lower corporate
tax rates are pushed forward and business regulations are rolled back,
some would argue that business travel is healthy. But other underlying
factors have a decidedly more negative impact on the future of business
travel including trade policy renegotiation, terrorism, travel and
immigration bans, sanctions, electronics bans, and geopolitical
tensions.
impact of administration policy and rhetoric on travel
GBTA is concerned this uncertainty along with on-going rhetoric and
policies will send the message that the United States is closed for
global business. This dampening of the demand for the United States as
a business travel destination could cause a lasting negative economic
impact that is masked in the near term by offsetting economic policies.
This began last year with the current administration's first travel
ban, which cost the United States $185 million in business travel
bookings in 1 week. A second, then third travel ban followed, which is
awaiting ruling from the Supreme Court, driving further uncertainty.
There is no question that uncertainty is bad for business travel and
bad for the global economy.
In May 2017, GBTA developed an ``uncertainty forecast'' for 2017
showing the impact that mounting geopolitical uncertainty was having on
the economy by using first-quarter ticketing data from the Airlines
Reporting Corp. (ARC), publicly-available travel data, and GBTA's
economic research and models including the BTI. GBTA projected a loss
of over $1.3 billion in overall travel-related expenditures in the
United States in 2017 including hotels, food, rental cars, and shopping
expenses that inbound travelers would have spent. That includes $250
million lost in spending from inbound business travelers from Europe
and the Middle East. U.S. GDP was projected to take a nearly $300
million hit while potentially impacting more than 4,200 jobs along with
$175 million in lost wages and a $70 million reduction in tax
collections. Final 2017 numbers will be available in our annual Global
Business Travel Index forecast due out in August 2018.
The underlying concern is that this will have a significant long-
term impact on the economy as companies begin to host meetings and
events in competitive non-U.S. destinations. In March 2017, following
the second Executive Order on travel, GBTA polled its U.S. and European
membership. Nearly 4 in 10 (37 percent) U.S. business travel
professionals expected some level of reduction in their company's
travel because of the revised Executive Order. Even more European
travel professionals felt this way with 47 percent expecting some level
of reduction in business travel for their company. Additionally, 17
percent of European travel professionals reported that their company
has already canceled business travel to the United States because of
the Executive Orders issued.
Thirty-eight percent of European business travel professionals said
their companies would be less willing to send business travelers to the
United States in the future because of the Executive Order, and 45
percent indicated their company will be less willing to plan future
meetings and events in the United States. With meetings and events
typically planned 1 to 2 years out, we will only begin to see the
impact of these decisions this year.
The poll also revealed that when asked about top concerns regarding
the immigration ban on your travelers, increased traveler harassment in
general (41 percent), uncertainty regarding green card and approved
visa credibility to enter the United States (34 percent), and
harassment of U.S. travelers to and from the Middle East (34 percent)
topped the list.
It goes without saying that GBTA strongly supports all efforts keep
our skies safe. GBTA continues to be a proponent for expanding proven
security programs and developing new technology to facilitate
information sharing among governments to ensure travelers are always
vetted properly, making us all more safe and secure. Yet, it is the
cumulative impact of anti-travel policies and rhetoric that leave the
perception to many that the United States is closed for business.
It is imperative that we reverse this tide of negative perception.
As found in the GBTA economic study, a 1 percent decrease in business
travel spending alone causes the U.S. economy to lose 74,000 jobs, $5.5
billion in GDP, $3.3 billion in wages, and $1.3 billion in taxes.
GBTA stands ready to assist in improving the travel process and to
remind all that perception can be reality. GBTA urges consideration of
the important lasting impact of business travel and hopes policies will
be enacted going forward that preserve both our National security and
our economy for the future.
Mr. Katko. Thank you Mr. McCormick, appreciate your
testimony. I appreciate the testimony of all four of you, and I
am really glad that--that TSA is here to--to hear it all. I am
not going to get into specifics, but if you could just briefly
answer to me.
Could you just--each of you just quickly tell me--the
concerns you have raised are very valid concerns. Some very
good ideas, like merging Trusted Traveler and TSA and those
types of things.
Don't have time to get into all of them, but how much
interaction or how much--how should I say, meaningful
interaction have you had with TSA in sharing your ideas with
them? If you could just tell me briefly, each of you?
Ms. Howerton. Excuse me, sure. We have shared our
recommendations with TSA last November. We published a report
called Transforming Security at the Airports. We actually have
given this report to the administrator and many of the people
that are over at TSA.
Excuse me. In addition--excuse me. The ASAC Checkpoint of
the Future Report that came to Congress embodies the same
recommendations that I have posed here today.
Mr. Katko. OK, thank you. Ms. Pinkerton.
Ms. Pinkerton. We work with TSA almost on a daily basis. We
can't say enough praise for Administrator Pekoske, Darby, and
others on his team that have done an outstanding job post the
summer of 2016, setting up that kind of regular communication
and coordination.
Now, I will say, some of the issues that we have talked
about, some of these ideas, we have been talking to them about
them for years. So--the coordination though is very good.
Mr. Katko. OK. Ms. Reiter.
Ms. Reiter. I would say the same thing as Sharon. The
associations and airports communicate often, if not daily with
the--with the TSA. It has been some of them for a long time in
discussion, particularly PreCheck.
Mr. Katko. OK. Mr. McCormick.
Mr. McCormick. Yes, I would say the same. I mean the
interaction is terrific, and again we get buy-in from, you
know, the top down. But the reality is is that some of these
areas we have to accelerate. Particularly the marketing of the
programs to the corporations.
It is--you know, it was mentioned in--in your testimony.
But there is a huge opportunity with the corporations
community. These are people who are already vetted, already--
the corporation knows more about the travelers than TSA even
needs to, to have them qualify for PreCheck.
But it is--but the--the agency is maybe not the best at
driving those programs, as to why we need the third-party
enrollment, why we need to really aggressively go after the--
the opportunities that are there in front of us.
Mr. Katko. OK. Well I--I commend TSA for making yourselves
available and doing the things you are doing to interact with
the--with the--the stakeholders. It is not an easy job you
have, but I commend you for interacting with them.
It is clear that since my time in as Chair that things have
got a lot better at TSA. A lot of it is because you are
listening, and that is--that is a good thing, so I commend you
for that. Also, again looking at 2016 as a good example of
that. Because there was a crisis at the travel times. We
learned that field service directors may not be interacting
with the airlines as much as they should. They fixed that. They
have--they have learned to open their gates a little bit
sooner; they fixed that.
They have learned to anticipate flows better and they fixed
that. All those things are helping, and just keep going,
because I think they are making a difference. But I want to--I
want to still--you know talk more--a little bit more about
PreCheck.
It is really surprising to me why more airports do not have
kiosks at the airport. It seems like such a basic, simple thing
to do. You saw what happened in my airport, but I--you heard my
statements earlier about what has happened there with
enrollments. It has gone through the roof. Why can't airports
do it and what would be the impediment for them doing it? Any
suggestions, anything you are--Ms. Reiter, yes?
Ms. Reiter. There had--there are quite a bit of
restrictions that are put on the one company in what they need
for infrastructure that is really difficult for the company to
do, as well as some of the airports to get them the
infrastructure that they need. So it is difficult for them to
come into the airports.
Mr. Katko. When you say restrictions, who is causing these
restrictions? The airports or is that the----
Ms. Reiter. It is actually I think what TSA requires of the
company to--to have to be able to get into the airport.
Mr. Katko. Can you give us some examples, just so I
understand better?
Ms. Reiter. Like how thick the walls need to be and what
kind of infrastructure they need and what kind of IT
requirements they need. It is extremely difficult for them to
get in.
Mr. Katko. OK, but do you have it at your airport?
Ms. Reiter. I do.
Mr. Katko. How do--how do you--how is it working?
Ms. Reiter. It is working great. it is working fine, yes.
Yes, and--and we have increased PreCheck because of that.
Mr. Katko. Ever. Perhaps we should have a good discussion
with TSA with the Chairman--with the administrator on how we
can help maybe tweak that process and expedite it, because we
really--we need to get them at airports. I haven't heard anyone
that has them at airports say it is not good. So what is--how
do we expand to other airports? How do we incentive other
airports to get there? Most--maybe we straighten out some of
these things but what are some of the--is it reluctance at
other airports to give up space or what is it?
Ms. Pinkerton. I don't think there is reluctance but I
would just make a pitch again for mobile enrollment. I mean,
this--we are--everybody is using their mobile and it wouldn't
require a heavy infrastructure investment. Again, I hear TSA
talking about it. We just--we need to get it done.
Mr. Katko. OK. Anything else, Ms. Howerton.
Ms. Howerton. I concur with both of those comments.
Mr. Katko. OK.
Ms. Reiter. Sir, there are other airports that have offered
to actually put it in their credential centers, the smaller
airports that have the staff and are willing to do that kind of
as a third party that has been out there for years. So there
are other opportunities.
Mr. Katko. Yes, because it seems to me that the key to
anticipating like Mr. McCormick said the increase in travel, I
mean, those projections are 30 percent more air travel in the
next decade or two, we have got to be ready for it, right. If
we don't have PreCheck and we don't have ways to expedite the
screening processes we are going to be in trouble.
I think that K-9's is a good, maybe an intermediate way to
do it. But that is definitely a way to do it I think. But it is
not a foolproof way. It is not the best way if you don't know
the traveler. I mean if you know the traveler PreCheck is the
best way, I think, and we have got to really push that.
So, we should spend more time and I would like to--if there
is any other ideas you have about PreCheck, I definitely want
to hear from you because to me it is one of the keys. If we can
get to that 25 million I think we are going to have a
dramatically different landscape at airports.
It really troubles me why you have 1-hour waits. I know you
are a popular airport, you are one of the most popular in the
country but--and that is to your credit, but is there something
we are missing as to why those wait times are being caused?
Ms. Reiter. I think there has been a change in how the use
of dogs is--how long they can be used that probably should be
discussed as well down the line. I think there is also some
discussion about the attrition rate at our airport. We are one
of the airports that the attrition rate is extremely high.
Thank goodness, the--TSA is working with us on that that.
We have great collaboration with them. So, thank you Mr.
Lajoye. He--they are working from top down on that. So, we are
struggling with that as well. So and just we are really a peak
airport but we are really struggling between K-9s and
attrition. It is tough.
Mr. Katko. All right. I thank you very much. I just--keep
your input coming. I mean, obviously one of the reasons we had
this hearing today is because I heard from you about the
concerns about the wait times and we have got to--I think we
really need to put our heads together, TSA and all of us in the
industry to figure out how the best way to market this.
You gave some good ideas and we are going to go back and
talk about them and I am always willing to legislate. So, we
will see what we can do here. With that, I will recognize Mrs.
Watson Coleman for 5 minutes of questions.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am certain
you heard a little bit of my opening statement as it relates to
what is happening with international travel and I would like to
pursue that, particularly with Mr. McCormick and Ms. Howerton.
The data shows that the sharpest declines in inbound
international visits came direct--came directly following
President's first two travel bans. There has also been a sharp
decline in tourists coming from Mexico which many have
speculated is a direct consequence of the President's plan to
build a wall along the Southern Border.
I have a series of questions in support of this premise,
and my first question is what message do you believe that the
President's policies and rhetoric are sending to the
international visitors, Ms. Howerton and Mr. McCormick? If any.
Mr. McCormick. Yes, I think, so last year when the second
Executive Order was put out in March, we polled our European
membership and 38 percent of business travel professionals said
their companies would be less willing to send business
travelers to the United States and 45 percent said they would
be less willing to plan future meetings and events in the
United States.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Can you translate that into money?
Mr. McCormick. Yes, the impact there, I mean, we were
estimating last year the impact could have over, like a $1.3
billion impact on the--on travel expenditures and related
expenditures here in the United States. The problem is, is that
when you are talking about this, particularly group and meeting
travels, it is planned, again, 1 to 2 years out.
So we are not even going to begin to see the impact of
those changes until now and into next year. So again that
rhetoric is difficult, right, because just factually it has an
impact on perception about doing business. In a global economy,
again, companies have options.
They don't have to come here for that type of travel. They
can go anywhere else. So, that does create a problem for us as
an industry.
Ms. Watson Coleman. OK. Thank you. Ms. Howerton, do you
have anything to add to the Trump slump question?
Ms. Howerton. Yes, I do, thank you very much. Actually the
U.S. market share in international travel has been sliding
since 2015. So it is not new to this administration. That being
said, the fact that there is not a welcoming message and what
we are hearing through all of the other issues for
international visitation is hurtful to continuing an incline in
international travel.
We do need the President's help. It is pretty clear. Robust
travel is both compatible with his priorities for strong
security and it is critical to the priority to grow jobs. So we
are hopeful that we will see an increase once we get some more
movement underfoot for positive messaging.
Ms. Watson Coleman. So do you think we are going to--well,
OK. So you believe that this is related to some positive
messaging. Has your industry been able to do anything to sort-
of express this concern to the parties or party principally
responsible for the depression of international travel because
of the rhetoric? Have you all like sought meetings with those
entities or individuals who would--who are responsible for
this?
Ms. Howerton. We actually are a member of a U.S. travel
coalition, Visit U.S. Travel Coalition, and it is a coalition
of many members both members that are with in the U.S. travel
footprint of membership and organizations that are outside of
it. The primary purpose of this organization is to work with
the administration on ways we can increase international
travel, ways we can message it, ways we can impact
international visitors coming here and the jobs that
international travel creates.
Ms. Watson Coleman. So have you specifically been able to
communicate to anybody in the administration representing the
interests of this President or even the President himself the
concerns that have been raised by the rhetoric, the negative
rhetoric and how it has impacted possibly people coming from
Mexico and people coming from other places around the world.
Have you, to your knowledge, Ms. Howerton or you to your
knowledge, Mr. McCormick?
Ms. Howerton. We have had meetings with the--with
administration officials, yes we have.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Have they recognized the possibility of
this being a problem and seeking to a course correction here?
As if anybody has any control over the President's mouth.
Ms. Howerton. They had listened intently.
Ms. Watson Coleman. Thank you. Mr. McCormick, do you have
anything to share on it?
Mr. McCormick. No, I think on that front--I mean, again, we
have also met with the administration and every--and--and
anyone that will meet and listen, because of the importance of
this issue.
I mean it is critical. This business travel drives the
economy, and I think there is a--there is an understand that--
of that, but I think, again, we have a lot more work to do to
have that fully embraced in a way that affects the way work is
done.
Ms. Watson Coleman. While I have several more questions, I
am going to close with this question. Like I know this is is
going--this is impacting jobs, impacting spending, impacting
our economy negatively.
What is it that you think Congress can do to help to
counteract the Trump slump's impact on incoming international
travel? I would be interested in knowing, and with the answer
to that question, Ms. Howerton, Mr. McCormick or anybody else
that is at the witness table would like to respond to that, I
would yield back after that.
Mr. McCormick. Well, I would just say that I think you are
doing it. I mean this is a perfect example of very good
bipartisan efforts to address the issues that are affecting
travel and to give us the forum to deliver the message.
I mean I think that we could do more together, I think to
have those meetings and to impress upon everybody about this
importance, again, we are all on the same side on this issue. I
mean this is--this is something that I don't think there is
anything we are saying here that you would have an argument
against. The tactics of the issue, right, and the enforcement
is the issue.
Ms. Watson Coleman. But you know, last comment.
Mr. Katko. That is fine.
Ms. Watson Coleman. While we are focusing now on
international travel coming to us, there is also a question
about whether or not we as Americans, businesses, whatever, are
reluctant to go to do international travel, because for fear
that we are not liked anymore as a result of this kind of
rhetoric.
So something--this whole area is something that we need to
explore a little bit close--more closely in the upcoming
future.
With that.
Mr. McCormick. Well again, I mean we would welcome the
dialog because companies have a bigger obligation in terms of
duty of care and risk management. We are sending travelers now
all over the world to destinations to do business and to grow
business.
I mean companies--every company is global these days, every
company has business, is looking for new business anywhere in
the world. So I mean the--we do have an obligation, we have an
obligation as a country, right, to address the issues and to
give companies that are driving our economy the support they
need.
Ms. Watson Coleman. As our ally base seems to be shrinking,
we need to be very careful preserving and protecting our
opportunities internationally. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield
back.
Mr. Katko. Thank you, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and I thank all
of you for you testimony here today, it has been very helpful
and very thought-provoking and my poor staff is going to get
tortured with a lot of assignments now from--because of that.
But I do--I do understand and I appreciate the problem and
I appreciate the much better interaction with the industry than
there has been, and I commend all of you at TSA for that.
Thank all of you for keeping with it, because it is really
important, and the more we hear from you the more we know what
to do. So I thank you for that very much. Before we wrap up, I
just want to let you know that we have the PreCheck bill coming
and that will be coming in the next week or so.
You sure? OK, week or so.
Yes. Those are my bosses back here. But they--we will be
getting that out, and it is not to torture TSA, it is just to
make sure we make it clear that PreCheck means PreCheck. But
there are also things we can do to help exploit the program,
and I think we can--I think the--the merger of--of the two
systems is a good idea, and some of the other things that we
can do.
So we thank you for that as well, and with that, I want to
thank all the Members for your testimony. Members of the
committee may have some additional questions for the record,
and witnesses are--and we will ask you to respond to those in
writing.
Pursuant to committee rule VII(D), the hearing record will
remain open for 10 days. Without objection, the committee
stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:16 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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Questions From Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman for Darby LaJoye
Question 1a. TSA has proposed addressing concerns regarding
unvetted passengers going through PreCheck screening by introducing a
new lane at checkpoints that would fall between PreCheck and standard
lanes.
How will TSA accomplish this when there is already a shortage of
lanes and staffing resources at most airports?
Question 1b. Will creating more types of lanes exacerbate the
challenges of making sure each lane is available and being fully
utilized?
Answer. As TSA improves its ability to differentiate passengers
through enhanced technology and vetting, it will be able to adjust
procedures based on the determined risk. While still in the planning
phase, the intent is for such adjustments to increase checkpoint
efficiency, while ensuring that passengers still receive the
appropriate level of screening based on the identified risk level.
Additional segmentation of passengers has the possibility of
creating operational challenges. Recognizing such, TSA is exploring
different options to assess operational feasibility. How changes will
impact operations, especially during lower volume periods and at
smaller checkpoints, will be key takeaways from any option explored.
Question 2a. Administrator Pekoske has stated his intent to move
toward more tailored screening of the flying public. Under his proposed
vision, more and more levels of screening would exist, and each
passenger would be provided a level of screening based on the risk TSA
believes they present.
How do you intend to avoid setting up a system that essentially
benefits wealthy travelers who are able to pay for Trusted Traveler
Program enrollments while penalizing less wealthy travelers?
Question 2b. What would you say to those who have expressed
concerns that this approach would incentivize people to offer more and
more information about themselves to the Government and penalize people
who care about their privacy and civil liberties?
Answer. TSA strives to continuously improve passenger security
screening while maintaining high levels of security and privacy
protections. TSA employs a risk-based approach that enables it to move
away from ``one-size-fits-all'' passenger security screening model and
instead focus agency resources and efforts more effectively on those
who pose greater or unknown risk. TSA established TSA PreCheck for
expedited screening of low-risk passengers at airport checkpoints
across the country beginning in 2011 as part of this risk-based
security approach.
Since then, TSA has continually evolved its processes to
differentiate passenger screening protocols, adjusting its security
measures to better address changing security and threat environments
while balancing available resources, airport-specific constraints, and
planned travel volumes. TSA's planned changes are a continuation of its
goal to screen passengers at a level commensurate to their level of
assessed known or unknown risk.
There are multiple avenues for individuals to be deemed eligible
for TSA expedited screening, ranging from direct enrollment in a DHS
Trusted Traveler Program; being a member of an approved, pre-vetted
group such as active-duty military; or canine-expedited screening on a
flight-by-flight basis. TSA is looking to further differentiate
screening measures within its pool of identified low-risk travelers
based on the level of prescreening and information available to TSA to
evaluate the degree of passenger risk. The additional information
needed is often information like mailing address which passengers
already provide to the airlines. By selecting to share that basic
information with TSA, passengers may be able to gain access to
expedited screening without any cost.
Participation in a DHS Trusted Traveler Program, such as the TSA
PreCheck Application program, is voluntary. TSA must be able to charge
fees in order to cover the costs for performing the Trusted Traveler
vetting. TSA consistently evaluates the pricing models for the TSA
PreCheck Application Program to ensure it is accessible for the general
public. Currently, the $85 fee for a 5-year enrollment with the TSA
PreCheck Application Program equates to $17 per year, or less than $5
per trip for travelers who fly at least four times per year. The
pricing structure is much lower than similar programs, and the
application fees that are collected are required to maintain the
enrollment and vetting operations, and overall management of the
program. TSA will continue to look for ways to lower the application
fees for this and other programs, through formal fee-analysis.
Safeguarding sensitive personal information and ensuring the
protection of civil liberties are paramount to the overall success of
any DHS Trusted Traveler Program. Passengers are all required to submit
minimum information necessary for TSA to satisfy statutory requirements
to identify those individuals on a watch list that may pose a threat to
transportation and National security. Individuals willing to
voluntarily provide additional information may apply for a DHS Trusted
Traveler Program in order to validate identities and conduct security
threat assessments to evaluate the degree of risk posed by that
individual to the aviation transportation system. Individual
application information is carefully handled and safeguarded.
Question 3a. TSA will need to continue to increase enrollments in
PreCheck to ensure the program's success.
Please describe in detail any current or forthcoming campaigns for
increasing PreCheck enrollment.
Answer. In 2017, TSA studied its customers and the factors that led
them to enroll in the TSA PreCheck Application Program. TSA is
leveraging the findings to implement a 5-year Enrollment Growth
Strategy, which includes initiatives to boost enrollment by increasing
program convenience and accessibility. TSA's enrollment contractor
plays an important role in growing enrollment and has been piloting
ways to streamline enrollment options. Information used in the
development of the strategy is acquisition sensitive, and will be
available to Members once the enrollment services contract is awarded.
The current enrollment contract is in the final stages of a Request for
Proposal process and with the new contract we expect additional
functionality and capabilities for enrollment and marketing.
With the first wave of TSA PreCheck Application Program membership
expirations occurring this fall, TSA is working hard to maintain
existing enrollment levels. To do so, TSA has designed a renewal
process that will not require an in-person visit for existing
enrollees, allowing for a seamless renewal experience that still
includes a robust threat assessment. In addition to the sustainment
initiatives, TSA will support the following activities aimed at
increasing enrollments:
Low-Risk Vetted Populations.--An effort created to take existing
populations that go through a similar vetting process to TSA PreCheck
(i.e., Federal Employees) and provide those individuals the ability to
opt-in to TSA PreCheck.
Marketing.--TSA PreCheck marketing efforts focus on promoting the
brand and the experience of TSA PreCheck as well as increasing customer
knowledge and awareness of the program. TSA PreCheck will launch an
advertising campaign in Summer-Fall of 2018 to accelerate enrollments
of the frequent traveler customer segment (3-15 round trips per year)
in the top 7-15 U.S. geographical markets. In addition, TSA will
continue to engage with TSA PreCheck partners to include the 53
airlines and dozens of private-sector businesses in the hotel, credit
card, travel management, rental car, association, and destination
marketing industries. TSA PreCheck partner relationships drive high-
value by promoting the brand and reaching target customer segments.
Question 3b. What are the physical requirements for an airport to
add a PreCheck enrollment kiosk, and how is TSA working to make this
process easier and more accessible?
Answer. TSA is testing portable enrollment solutions that can be
utilized in airports and other types of locations/events, making
enrollment easier and more accessible. These portable solutions require
an in-person interaction with TSA PreCheck applicants and a Trusted
Enrollment Agent to verify identity and collect biometrics from that
verified individual, as TSA security threat assessments rely on
accurate identity and biometrics collection. Physical privacy
requirements are necessary for enrollment kiosks, such as physical
space/barriers to ensure there is no visual or audible unauthorized
disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). In addition to
privacy requirements, secure internet connections and power sources are
also required to operate enrollment equipment, to ensure data is not
stored on the endpoint device. Additionally, there are requirements to
lock down the enrollment equipment/kiosk and store it safely when not
in use.
Question 3c. What current barriers exist that prevent the merging
of TSA and CBP Trusted Traveler programs and the establishment of co-
located enrollment centers?
Answer. Identifying opportunities for collaboration and increased
efficiencies between TSA and CBP Trusted Traveler Programs has been an
important focus for both organizations over the last 6 months. A
working-level group of representatives from both organizations meet on
a monthly basis to better understand overlaps and potential points of
collaboration. Additionally, the group has identified several areas
that will need further assessment in order to further integrate the two
Trusted Traveler Programs. The working group continues to strive toward
merging the programs as they work through each of the areas detailed
below.
Enrollment Operations.--While both CBP and TSA Trusted Traveler
Programs work to identify potential threats to transportation and
National security, as a law enforcement organization with enforcement
authority over a broad range of immigration and customs laws, CBP must
conduct additional steps in its enrollment process that are not
required for the TSA process. These steps include an in-person
interview with a CBP officer. Additionally, TSA enrollment centers are
staffed entirely by contactors, with adjudication and final
determination of eligibility made by TSA employees. CBP instead
requires CBP officers to staff the entire enrollment process, resulting
in differences in labor costs. The working group has identified
potential enrollment process solutions that meet these CBP
requirements.
Information Technology Infrastructure.--Both components own
enrollment IT infrastructure, which the fee-funded Trusted Traveler
Programs support, specifically $85 for TSA PreCheck Application Program
and $100 for CBP Global Entry. Currently, both TSA and CBP are
evaluating the creation of a single DHS on-line portal to support
Trusted Traveler Programs, including the potential to facilitate the
enrollment of some Global Entry applicants at TSA enrollment centers.
The Information Technology (IT) system infrastructures of both programs
support more than 30 other vetted populations. For example, the IT
system that supports TSA PreCheck also supports the Hazard Material
Endorsements Program, Aviation Workers Programs, Transportation Workers
Programs, and others, which is a factor that needs to be considered if
merging these systems.
Populations Served.--CBP applicants must hold a passport, which TSA
does not require as part of its enrollment program. Additionally, TSA
PreCheck applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents,
whereas CBP allows applications from citizens from additional approved
countries. The differences in the populations served by these two
Trusted Traveler Programs will need to be addressed.
Question 4a. We often hear about how TSA meets its wait time
standards for 99 percent of passengers. However, this was true even in
2016 when many passengers were waiting in lines for hours. I understand
the threshold for reporting long lines is 30 minutes for standard lanes
and 15 minutes for PreCheck lanes.
How did TSA develop its standards for reporting wait times?
Question 4b. Why did the standards change from 20 minutes for
standard lanes and 10 minutes for PreCheck lanes?
Question 4c. How does TSA measure wait times?
Question 4d. How can TSA refine its wait time data measurements to
provide a better overall picture of how operations are functioning?
Answer. TSA maintains a standard target of 20 minutes for standard
lanes and 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck lanes. TSA requires all Federal
Security Directors (FSDs) to report to the TSA Airport Operations
Center (AOC) when wait times exceed 30 minutes in standard or 15
minutes in TSA PreCheck lanes. The report includes the perceived cause
of the wait time and the mitigation strategy.
The AOC reporting requirements were developed to provide TSA
leadership and stakeholders situational awareness. The threshold went
through several iterations to reach 30 minutes for standard lanes.
Initially, the threshold for reporting standard lanes was 45 minutes.
This was revised to 40 minutes and then 30 minutes in September 2016.
At 30 minutes, the appropriate number and severity of events is
reported to leadership and TSA is currently better-positioned to
address the issue and limit the impact on passengers and stakeholders
than in years past. The 15-minute threshold for TSA PreCheck has
remained the same.
TSA has an operational directive which details the procedures for
measuring wait times. Specifically, wait times are measured in actual
time, using a verifiable system such as wait time cards, closed circuit
television (CCTV) monitoring, or other confirmable methods. Wait times
are measured from the end of the queue to the walk-through metal
detectors or Advanced Imaging Technology units. TSA is assessing how
measurements could be improved through automation in order to provide
real-time data to TSA officials and stakeholders.
Questions From Ranking Member Watson Coleman for William Russell
Question 1a. GAO recently completed a study of TSA's model for
allocating staff across airport checkpoints.
Is TSA's allocation model based on the number of officers it has
funding for or the number of officers TSA really needs to operate?
Answer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) uses a
resource allocation plan to allocate staff across airports. According
to TSA officials, TSA identifies the number of transportation security
officers (TSO) authorized by the agency's budget and uses this number
as a constraint when running the model to determine the allocation of
TSOs across airports.
Question 1b. What would be the benefits of having a model that is
not constrained by budget limitations?
Answer. According to TSA officials, the agency has reached its
budget cap for the number of TSOs that the agency can afford to employ.
In addition, officials told us they have conducted an analysis of the
ideal number of TSOs needed to staff airports using its staffing
model--unconstrained by budget limitations--and that the model produces
a number of officers greater than the number TSA can afford given its
current budget. We believe that the results of the unconstrained model
could be compared to the results of the constrained model to help TSA
determine the actual gap in staffing and inform the allocation of TSOs
across airports by identifying those airports with the largest gaps.
Questions From Ranking Member Watson Coleman for Wendy Reiter
Question 1a. One of the major issues TSA faces in addressing
increasing passenger volumes is a lack of space at many airports. TSA
simply does not have the room to install additional lanes.
How are airports addressing this issue, both in the short term and
long term?
Answer. Response was not received at the time of publication.
Question 1b. How well does TSA communicate its real estate needs to
airports?
Answer. Response was not received at the time of publication.
Question 2. In your testimony you mentioned that TSA hiring
struggles to keep pace with the attrition of TSA officers to the
higher-paying jobs that your region's economy is creating.
What are some steps that TSA can take to address such attrition
challenges in your region and others?
Answer. Response was not received at the time of publication.
Questions From Ranking Member Watson Coleman for Michael W. McCormick
Question 1. Under this administration, we have seen a lot of
uncertainty regarding security and regulatory policies, as the
President seems to change his mind on policies day to day, and many of
his decisions get held up in court.
How does policy uncertainty affect business travelers and the
travel industry?
Answer. Business planning in an environment with turmoil and
unpredictable change is difficult. Business leaders would much rather
have certainty and predictability so that they can allocate capital and
plan business appropriately for the long term. In response to the
travel bans, GBTA developed an ``uncertainty forecast'' released in May
2017 showing the impact that mounting geopolitical uncertainty was
having on the economy. The forecast was based upon airline ticketing
data, publicly available travel data and GBTA's economic research and
modeling. This included our Global BTI--GBTA's annual business travel
forecast and outlook and the Global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index,
which began in 1997, and hit an all-time, 20-year high in uncertainty
this past year.
In its ``uncertainty forecast'', GBTA projected a loss of over $1.3
billion in overall travel-related expenditures in the United States in
2017 including hotels, food, rental cars, and shopping expenses that
inbound travelers would have spent. That includes $250 million lost in
spending from inbound business travelers from Europe and the Middle
East. U.S. GDP was projected to take a nearly $300 million hit while
potentially impacting more than 4,200 jobs along with $175 million in
lost wages and a $70 million reduction in tax collections. Final 2017
numbers will be available in our annual Global Business Travel Index
forecast due out in August 2018. The underlying concern is that this
will have a significant long-term impact on the economy as companies
begin to host meetings and events in competitive non-U.S. destinations.
Question 2a. You testified to how President Trump is driving a
downturn in international travel to the United States.
Are decreases in visits to the United States occurring primarily
among visitors from certain countries and regions? Which ones?
Question 2b. Do you believe there is a correlation between
President Trump's statements and policies and the nationalities of
travelers who are visiting the United States less? For example, are
travelers from Mexico or majority-Muslim countries visiting the United
States less?
Answer. GBTA is unable to specifically address these questions
since our survey does not directly measure decreases in visits to the
United States--it measures sentiment and anticipated impact.
However, GBTA conducted a lightning poll of its U.S. and European
members this June revealing 62 percent of U.S. travel buyers believe
this administration is having a negative impact on business travel.
Additionally, 38 percent of European travel buyers say their
willingness to plan meetings and events in the United States has
decreased because of the administration's Executive Orders and a
similar number (39 percent) say the administration's policies and
messaging on travel and immigration have negatively impacted their
company's willingness to plan meetings and events in the United States.
Question 3a. In your role as the GBTA Executive Director and COO,
you have published several blog posts on business travel and the
negative impact the Trump administration's policies have had. In a
January 2018 post, you warn of the ``economic consequences of
continuing down a path of discouraging travel and portraying the United
States as an unwelcoming destination.''
Do you believe that the current perception that the
administration's anti-international travel policies have created is
reversible, and if so, how could the administration go about reversing
it?
Answer. When policies are introduced without consulting
stakeholders and presented without warning, it causes further damage to
the United States as a destination for foreign travel. However, it is
not irreparable. The U.S. economy remains strong and is an attractive
place for business. The President comes from the hospitality industry
and should understand the importance travel has on the economy. It
remains unclear if his past experiences will change the
administration's stance, however.
Question 3b. In the absence of a change of course from the
administration, how can Congress and travel industry stakeholders
assuage the concerns of international travelers caused by the
administration?
Answer. Continue to expand the Visa Waiver Program and to include
all E.U. country members where possible while maintaining high security
standards.
Implement additional Trusted Traveler reciprocal agreements with
countries where possible.
DHS should conduct regular collection and analyzation of traveler
feedback data. This information should be available to the partner
organizations such as GBTA. It should also be used as the basis for
developing best practices for all relevant agencies.
Encourage relevant agencies to find more areas of cooperation to
pool resources and intelligence.
Congress can work closer together in a bi-partisan fashion to
encourage the White House to rethink protectionist policies that impact
travelers and businesses alike.
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