[Senate Hearing 116-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, at 10:00 a.m., in Room SD-138,
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Shelley Moore Capito
(chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Capito, Hoeven, Kennedy, Lankford,
Tester, and Shaheen.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
STATEMENT OF HON. DAVID PEKOSKE, ADMINISTRATOR,
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO
Senator Capito. I call this hearing of the subcommittee on
Homeland Security to order. This is the subcommittee's second
hearing of the fiscal year 2021 budget cycle and we are pleased
to be joined by the Administrator of the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA), David Pekoske, welcome.
Administrator Pekoske was confirmed by the Senate as the
seventh TSA Administrator in August of 2017.
Prior to joining TSA, Mr. Pekoske served as the 26th Vice
Commander of the United States Coast Guard. He has demonstrated
expertise in counterterrorism, crisis management, strategic
planning initiatives skills that are very useful as he served
as the Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for several
months last year, and thank you for that service. He has
received numerous awards for his years of service, including
the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, Coast Guard
Distinguished Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
I am glad to be joined today by the Ranking Member Senator
Tester.
Senator Tester and I have been working together to consider
the fiscal year 2021 budget request and we look forward to the
insight from Administrator Pekoske today. I would like to
mention there is a lot going on and so we will probably have
members floating in and out throughout the hearing. The
Transportation Security Administration has proven to be one of
the most crucial components to the Department of Homeland
Security's mission of safeguarding our people, homeland, and
values from current and emerging threats, both domestically and
internationally.
I would like to say, Administrator Pekoske, that the men
and women of the TSA are a source of great pride for all of us
in this country. They work to keep us safe at our airports
under stressful conditions when lines develop they try to ease
that anxiety that comes along sometimes with the traveler, but
also realizing, and I am going to mention this as well, with
the onset of a different type of duty with the coronavirus
issues. We certainly appreciate those that are helping to try
to contain and also find innovative ways to meet that
challenge. Since its inception in 2001, TSA could be considered
the face of the Department, interacting with more than 2
million passengers every day through screening checkpoints
across the Nation.
There is probably no component of the agency that I
interact with more as I fly back and forth from West Virginia,
and I want to thank my TSA West Virginia folks. They always
greet me with a smile no matter if I am grouchy and it is five
o'clock in the morning. As passenger volume continues to
increase each morning with TSA breaking records for passengers
screen that were just set the previous year, we want to ensure
that you have the proper resources to sustain your current
operational capacity.
As more passengers are flying, TSA continually faces new
challenges, including keeping their workforce and the traveling
public safe in the face of the coronavirus. We will learn more
about what TSA is doing to meet that challenge today. The
budget again proposes to increase the passenger fee to generate
$618 million in revenue for TSA. A proposal that was rejected
by Congress in our seven previous budget requests.
The assumption that Congress would reverse its previous
decisions and accept the fee increase proposal without proper
authorization from the appropriate House and Senate committee
undermines Congressional intent. The assumption also presents a
budget request that is not founded in reality, but it creates a
$618 million hole that we have the responsibility to fill.
Additionally, the budget request eliminates the Law
Enforcement Officer Reimbursement Program that is important for
particularly our more rural airports that have revenue
challenges, and staffing at exit lanes. These two have been
proposed in previous budget request and subsequently rejected
by the Congress. I hope you enlighten my fellow colleagues and
me by explaining your rationale for including these proposals
once again in the fiscal year 2021 request, and whether or not
cutting these programs has any merit.
I have heard from several West Virginian airports, as I
mentioned in particular about the Law Enforcement Officer
Reimbursement Program. A particular note, the budget request
significantly reduces the procurement of computer CT machines,
Computed Tomography machines, by 90 percent from what we funded
in 2020. And when I went out and visited, you showed me the
technology.
This committee has been told that these machines are vital
in guaranteeing our aviation security and your proposal to
slash the procurement of these machines is one we will need to
discuss as well. I am encouraged by the budget request to
reform the pay scale incentives for the hard-working men and
women of the organization, but I am concerned with the budget
suggestion to delay hiring in the coming fiscal year as a
mechanism to cut costs. I have been enlightened by my
discussions with TSA leadership about your workforce challenges
and opportunities.
As we approach a predicted record-breaking year of
passenger volume, I want to make sure that this budget proposal
will not hinder TSA's operational capacity at our Nation's
airports. I look forward to hearing more about how you ensure
efficiency while maintaining your security posture. While most
think of transportation officers at screening checkpoints in
airports, when they think of TSA, like my friends I mentioned
at the Yeager airport. I want to note that TSA's mission spans
to multimodal security effort, including roads, railroads,
bridges, tunnels, and ports.
We want to make sure that you have the proper resources to
carry out all of TSA's missions, including those that are
lesser-known. I am very concerned, and we just spoke about, the
looming deadline for the Real ID compliance. On October 1 of
this year, a mere 8 months from now, all adult passengers must
present a Real ID compliant driver's license in order to pass
through--or I guess you can also present a passport--to pass
through TSA checkpoint was some noticed exceptions. Yet as of
right now only one-third of all licenses in use are Real ID
compliant.
I look forward to hearing from the Administrator about
TSA's efforts to ensure that the traveling public is aware of
this requirement and to hear about contingency plans in case
significant gains are not seen in the Real ID compliance.
Administrator Pekoske, thank you for appearing for us today.
Please keep us updated on what you need to continue your
critical mission. I have enjoyed our conversations in my visits
to your facilities to meet your dedicated workforce, and I look
forward to doing so.
I will now turn to our distinguished Ranking Member Senator
Tester for any opening remarks that he may have before hearing
from our witness.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR JON TESTER
Senator Tester. Well, thank you, Chairman Capito, and I
want to preach express my appreciation for holding this hearing
today. And I want to thank you, Administrative Pekoske, for
being here today to discuss the fiscal year 2021 budget for the
TSA. First though, especially with the gentleman sitting behind
you, I want to acknowledge your workforce.
Whenever I am traveling back and forth, the transportation
security officers are hard-working, dedicated individuals. They
don't make a lot of money and they don't have the best hours
but they are always courteous and professional. So I want to
thank them for their dedication and keeping us safe. It is no
small feat and it speaks well to the organization to be able to
do the job that they do every day and do it pretty darn well.
The fiscal year 2021 budget requests about $7.6 billion in
discretionary funding for TSA, $182 million below fiscal year
2020 enacted level.
And now, I will tell you it is essential that TSA has the
resources it needs to fulfill its important security mission. I
hope that our discussion today will take a detailed look at
funding the TSA and what they need to stay ahead of
transportation threats. At the top of my mind is the recent
hiring freeze TSA put in place and the impacts this decision
could have on the traveling public. Now, I am going to tell you
something and I have said this before, I am just a dirt farmer,
okay, but I am a dirt farmer that flies four legs a week. And
we have got a lot of my neighbors that fly every year. If I am
a bad guy and we don't have top-notch security technology, it
looks like a soft spot, okay. And I know you don't want it to
be that way. I certainly don't want it to be that way but
aviation does remain a top threat for terrorists.
Protecting us against that threat, TSA secures 965 million
domestic and international aviation passengers every year, and
experts expect passenger volumes going to continue to grow and
it will. The traveling public needs to be reassured that the
TSA is capable of deterring, detecting, and disrupting any
security threat without creating long wait times and security
points. In order for that to happen, TSA needs sufficient staff
and the best screening equipment. 21st century threats require
21st century solutions, which is why this subcommittee has
supported investments in new technology to enhance TSA's
screening capability and passenger throughput.
I am concerned that the fiscal year 2021 budget only
request funding for 30 new CT units, despite a total
requirement of 2,218. We should be building on the progress
from previous years and the meaningful way so that cutting edge
technologies can be deployed in the field faster. While it is
important to have the most advanced screening technology at
airports, the men and women that wear the TSA uniform are your
agency's greatest asset. When security checkpoints are
adequately staffed, the traveler's experience is more enjoyable
and the entire aviation apparatus is more secure. TSA needs to
keep pace with hiring in order to process a growing volume, so
I am interested to hear how TSA plans to support a robust
workforce.
Further, as more information surfaces, it is clear that the
coronavirus presents a substantial challenge to ensure secure
international and domestic trade and travel. While there are
still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the virus, TSA must be
prepared to work with industry and Government stakeholders to
secure our ports of entry. It is also important to ensure the
frontline TSA officers have the proper equipment and training
to protect themselves on the job.
Finally, I would like to bring up the budget proposal to
eliminate viper teams and Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement
Program. These are short-sighted cuts. These are good programs
geared toward keeping the traveling public safe. In the end,
David, I want to thank you for your work. I want to thank you
for your leadership not only in this capacity, but in previous
ones.
We have got a lot of work on this budget to make this thing
work though. And as I pointed out to folks who come into my
office every day, President's budget adds another $1 trillion
to the debt and yet does not fund TSA to the level it needs to
be funded at. We got a lot of work to do. I appreciate your
expertise and leadership.
Senator Capito. Thank you, Senator Tester and now we will
go to our guest. You have five--well, and then we will allow
each Senator in order of their arrival five minutes for any
statements or questions that they may have. So, Administrator
Pekoske.
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. DAVID PEKOSKE
Mr. Pekoske. Thank you. Chairman Capito, Ranking Member
Tester, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. I
appreciate the opportunity to appear before you this morning to
discuss the President's fiscal year 2021 budget request for
TSA.
I thank all of you and your staffs for the long standing
strong support of aviation and surface transportation security.
It is a privilege to lead the more than 64,000 men and women
who perform our critical mission with excellence every day.
This includes our screening workforce, the largest and most
visible part of TSA, as well as others on the front line that
include our Federal Air Marshals, our canine teams, our
inspectors both domestic and international, air and surface
including air cargo, our vetting staffs, and my representatives
at embassies around the world. They are all enabled by
outstanding support, policy, and legal staff throughout the
agency.
The President's request provides important new support to
our screening workforce. This includes, for the first time
ever, funding for service or longevity pay. The budget provides
for annual increases of up to 2 percent per year to recognize
experience and years of service. It also includes the next
phase of incentives to encourage and recognize career
progression by providing a 3 percent pay raise for those who
acquire advanced alarm resolution skills. I ask for your
support of these critical pay initiatives for our
transportation security officers. As both of you noted, it is
very important that we continue to refresh the technology at
our screening checkpoints in the nearly 440 Federalized
airports across the country. We need to put the best technology
in the hands of our outstanding people.
Thank you for your support of two key ongoing programs. The
budget continues deployment of the Computed Tomography (CT) X-
ray and the Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) at our
checkpoints. First with CT, we are in the process of fielding
the initial 300 machines funded by the Congress.
This technology represents a significant improvement in our
ability to detect prohibited items in carry-on baggage and
eliminates the requirement for passengers to remove electronics
from their bags. As many of you have witnessed, it provides
greatly improved imaging for our officers. This will have a
significant positive impact on checkpoint effectiveness.
The fiscal year 2021 request continues the CT program as we
work towards the next contract and will include integrated
automated screening lanes. The Credential Authentication
Technology improves our ability to validate the authenticity of
driver's licenses, passports, and other forms of acceptable ID
presented by passengers. In addition, it provides near real-
time data from our secure flight system that will ensure
passengers receive the appropriate level of screening. This CAT
technology is better and faster than the manual validation
process it replaces, and it complements the enforcement of the
Real ID Act pertaining to air travel schedules to begin after
October 1st of this year, roughly 7 months from now. Real ID is
critical for security, improving the reliability and accuracy
of State-issued driver's licenses. This prevents and deters
terrorists' ability to use fraudulent documents.
Thank you for your support of both of these critical
acquisitions. The fiscal year 2021 budget also request funds to
begin the acquisition process for new on-person anomaly
detection technology and for new alarm resolution technologies.
Once complete, our checkpoints will be much more effective and
efficient, and our officers will have better tools to screen
passengers. Finally, with respect to check point operations, I
am pleased to announce that our TSA PreCheck enrollments just
crossed the 10 million passenger threshold. This is a key
milestone that exceeds a legal requirement to have 10 million
passengers enrolled by October 1st of 2020.
I know you have questions on coronavirus. Supporting the
President's task force to protect the United States from
coronavirus has been a top priority for everyone. We have used
the authority provided by Congress in the Aviation and
Transportation Security Act to issue a series of directives
that limit who may board commercial aircraft destined for the
United States. Carriers have been denying boarding to foreign
nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens and
permanent residents, who have either have been in China or as
of yesterday in Iran within 14 days of travel, and transporting
all U.S. citizens who have been in either China or Iran within
14 days of travel through one of 11 airports where they undergo
medical screening.
My entire leadership team has worked tirelessly to ensure
our workforce is protected and we have followed the guidance
provided by the Centers for Disease Control and OSHA. Both the
Department and TSA have extensively messaged the workforce to
ensure that everyone has the latest information.
Let me close by thanking you for your strong support of the
men and women who serve their country in TSA. I very much
appreciate the comments by both the chairman and the ranking
member with respect to the TSA workforce. I am incredibly proud
of every single man and woman who works for this agency and
their service to our country, and I look forward to your
questions this morning. Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of David P. Pekoske
Good morning Chairman Capito, Ranking Member Tester, and
distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to
testify on the President's FY 2021 Budget Request, which includes an
$8.24 billion request for the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA). I am honored to be here and grateful for the longstanding and
constructive relationship that TSA enjoys with this subcommittee.
TSA was established by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act
(ATSA) in the wake of the September 11th attacks. The world has changed
since then, but our fundamental mission, to protect the nation's
transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and
commerce, has not. While we remain steadfast in providing the highest
level of security for the U.S. across all modes of transportation, the
scope and complexity of that goal has increased over the last two
decades. Today, the U.S. transportation systems accommodate
approximately 965 million domestic and international aviation
passengers per year; over 5.3 billion passengers traveling on both
transit and over-the-road buses each year; more than 10.1 billion
passenger trips on mass transit per year; 26 million students daily on
school buses; and nearly 900,000 chemical shipments every day on
trucks. Our interconnected transportation system and infrastructure
includes approximately 440 federalized airports; 126,000 miles of
railroad tracks; 4.2 million miles of highway; 615,000 highway bridges;
473 road tunnels; and 2.5 million miles of pipeline.
Since TSA's creation, the modes and methods of terrorist attacks
have become more decentralized and opportunistic than ever before.
Aviation and transport hubs, however, remain highly-valued targets. Our
adversaries are watching us, studying our vulnerabilities, and working
hard to formulate new attack strategies to replace those that have
failed. The daily threat environment TSA faces in the aviation,
surface, and cyber security realms is persistent, pervasive, and
constantly evolving. To meet the challenge created by such adversaries,
we must innovate, deploy new solutions rapidly and effectively, and
maximize the impact of our resources.
Our continuing vision is to be an agile security agency, embodied
by a professional workforce that engages its partners and the American
people to outmatch a dynamic threat. To that end, in April 2018, I
issued the 2018-2026 TSA Strategy, which established three strategic
priorities to guide the agency's workforce through its 25th
Anniversary: Improve Security and Safeguard the Transportation System;
Accelerate Action; and Commit to Our People. I subsequently published
my Administrator's Intent delineating short and medium-term objectives
for the first three years to achieve those priorities.
Further empowering TSA to execute its mission, serve as a global
leader in transportation, and become an employer of choice, the TSA
Modernization Act of 2018, the agency's first comprehensive
reauthorization since inception, was enacted in October 2018. The TSA
Modernization Act authorized funding for Fiscal Years 2019, 2020, and
2021; enhanced organizational structures, operations, and processes;
and established a five-year term for the Administrator--a critically
important factor for ensuring organizational stability and setting and
achieving longer term agency goals.
As I come before you today, slightly more than halfway through my
term as Administrator and at a point where we are developing the next
version of the Administrator's Intent, I want to thank Congress for the
authorities provided to TSA through the TSA Modernization Act.
Currently, TSA has completed more than 80 percent of the Act's
requirements with deadlines and I want to express my gratitude for the
previous appropriations provided to TSA that have enabled us to execute
our mission and make significant progress on a number of strategic
priorities. Additionally, I want to use this opportunity to convey both
what we have accomplished and our future goals and objectives. In FY
2019, we--
--Screened approximately 839 million aviation passengers (with a peak
volume of 2.8 million passengers in one day), representing a
4.3 percent checkpoint volume increase from FY 2018;
--Screened 1.9 billion carry-on items and more than 510 million
checked bags;
--Procured 300 Computed Tomography (CT) units and began preparation
for the nationwide deployment of CT systems; and
--Conducted 1,693 air carrier inspections at foreign airports, 144
foreign airport assessments, 60 pipeline critical facility
security reviews, 107 assessments of mass transit operator
security enhancements, and 182 assessments of security
enhancements by motor carriers.
The FY 2021 President's Budget continues to support TSA's strategy
to improve security and safeguard the Nation's transportation system,
accelerate action, and reinforce TSA's commitment to its people. It
supports $3.5 billion for our Transportation Security Officers (TSOs)
at the Nation's airports. We thank Congress for the continued support
you've provided for the TSO staffing increases needed to meet passenger
expectations as well as increasing volumes. This investment will allow
us to maintain acceptable wait times, and mitigate risk associated with
crowding at checkpoints.
To complement a well-trained, sufficiently sized workforce, TSA is
also focused on strengthening checkpoint operations through the
development and acquisition of new technology. To this end, we are in
the process of acquiring Computed Tomography (CT) units and Credential
Authentication Technology (CAT) units, which represent significant
technologic enhancements from the equipment currently used for identity
verification and the screening of accessible property, and deploying
them to airports nationwide as quickly as possible. CT technology will
provide superior detection capability, will be more convenient for
passengers, and eventually may eliminate the requirement to take
electronics, liquids, aerosols, and gels out of carry-on bags.
As of February 25, 2020, there are 65 CT units deployed to
checkpoints with another 49 units supporting testing and research and
development. The FY 2021 President's Budget provides $28.9 million to
support the procurement of 30 full-size CT units. The FY 2021 funding
will enable TSA to continue to accelerate the provision of CT
technology to the field to enable our workforce to more effectively and
efficiently execute the mission.
CAT also provides a significant security upgrade to the
identification verification and prescreening process. Ultimately, CAT
will enable Secure Flight screening status to be known and cross-
checked in near real time. In FY 2019, TSA procured 505 CAT units, with
480 units deployed as of February 10, 2020. The FY 2021 President's
Budget includes $2.3 million to finalize the procurement and deployment
of 1,520 CAT units to airports nationwide. The continued rollout of CAT
units to checkpoints will improve TSA's ability to detect fraudulent
documents and screen passengers based on assessed risk. The CAT unit
has also served as a key tool for TSA's efforts to meet the TSA
Modernization Act requirement for TSA Pre lanes to only serve
passengers with Known Traveler Numbers, which will improve the TSA Pre
passenger experience, and serve as a platform for testing voluntary
facial matching technology.
Finally, TSA strives through continued investment to improve the
Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) being used at our checkpoints today.
The FY 2021 President's Budget provides $5 million to develop Next Gen
AIT systems, and an additional $3 million of funding for research and
development enhancements for Emerging Alarm Resolution technologies.
Our frontline workforce can better execute their security mission
when equipped with the technology needed to counter evolving threats.
While sustained technological improvement at our checkpoints is
critically important, we are also committed to investing in our most
important asset, our people. TSA is pleased that our employees provide
input into the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, values their
feedback, and acknowledges the concerns regarding pay dissatisfaction
and low morale expressed through the survey. In an effort to address
these longstanding workforce challenges, I commissioned a Blue-Ribbon
Panel of public and private sector human capital experts last year to
identify problems and recommend solutions. In 2019, we received a
number of recommendations from the panel, including that TSA should
better leverage the authorities and flexibilities provided through ATSA
rather than convert to the General Schedule.
Recently, TSA has addressed locality driven turnover issues through
the use of retention incentives as a short-term fix for retaining TSOs
in particularly competitive markets. Concurrently, we took measures to
create career paths that aligned increased pay to enhanced training and
skills by implementing the TSO Career Progression initiative. Through
the FY 2021 President's Budget, TSA is transitioning away from relying
predominantly on employing retention incentives at specific locations
and instead adopting a more holistic and permanent solution by
investing in career service pay, which will create a more predictable
system for salary increases over a TSO's career. Additionally, the FY
2021 Budget supports the implementation of a second phase of our TSO
Career Progression initiative, a merit based promotion to 7,500 top
performing TSOs.
The FY 2021 President's Budget funds two workforce initiatives and
represents a significant long-term commitment to our workforce that
will help address these concerns. First, the Budget includes $23.6
million for Service Pay to fund predictable, annual pay increases for
TSOs who demonstrate service experience. The Budget also seeks $11.3
million for the second phase of TSO Career Progression, an investment
that will enable TSA to provide a three percent pay increase to
screeners who demonstrate higher skill levels in checkpoint operations.
Although TSA has the legal authority to implement these workforce
improvements, TSA requires the budgetary resources to provide these
additional workforce improvements to TSOs. We are confident that the
investment in Service Pay and funding of the second phase of the TSO
Career Progression initiative demonstrate how we can employ our ATSA
authorities to make TSA an employer of choice.
Finally, in conjunction with the FY 2021 President's Budget, the
Administration has proposed raising the Aviation Passenger Security
Fee, also known as the September 11th Security Fee, in order to fully
cover the costs of aviation security by FY 2028. The fee was created to
cover the costs of aviation security, but in FY 2020 only covers 39
percent of today's costs. The proposal would increase the fee by one
dollar, from $5.60 to $6.60 per one-way trip in FY 2021 and from $6.60
to $8.25 in FY 2022. This measure would generate $618 million in new
revenue in FY 2021 and close to $28 billion in new revenue over the
next 10 years.
Securing our Nation's transportation system is a complex task and
we cannot do it alone. To achieve the priorities reflected within the
FY 2021 President's Budget, we will continue to engage with industry
and stakeholders, invest resources in our employees, and encourage the
public to be part of the solution. Finally, through constructive
oversight and dialogue, we seek to partner with Congress as we work to
secure all modes of transportation.
Chairman Capito, Ranking Member Tester, and members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you
today. I look forward to your questions.
COVID-19 SCREENING: TRANSPORATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION'S ROLE
Senator Capito. Thank you. I will kick it off here. Let's
talk a little more in depth on the coronavirus. You mentioned
in your statement that you are working together in a
coordinated fashion with other entities that are trying to
maintain the safety and well-being of so many citizens. And we
are probably one of the most traveled countries, I am sure,
around the globe.
I guess, the first question I would ask is, when somebody
is screened coming in, explain how that occurs. You mentioned
to me earlier that it occurs actually at the airport of origin
and not as that person is flying into the United States. Does
TSA have a role there and what is your role?
Mr. Pekoske. We do, Madam Chair. A couple things to answer
that question. First and foremost, TSA through its security
directives and emergency amendments provide requirements to
carriers at all of the last known departure airports to the
United States.
So this is 280 airports throughout the world, not just
airports in China. And essentially, what we asked the carriers
to do is ask a series of questions of every passenger as they
are boarding, and they also have the option of checking the
passenger's passport to ensure there has been no travel to
China, for example, or now Iran, for the last 14 days.
Senator Capito. And there are two countries that are going
to be added to that, correct?
Mr. Pekoske. There will be additional countries, I am sure,
as we continue to work with the task force, and I think those
announcements will be relatively soon. So there is screening
that is done by the carriers at the gate in last point of
departure airports throughout the world. And then there is
additional screening done by the passengers when they come into
the United States across the U.S. border.
With respect to non-U.S. citizens, if you have been in
China or Iran currently in the last 14 days, you cannot travel
to the United States until 14 days has elapsed and you don't
present symptoms of disease. But for U.S. citizens, you are
allowed to return to the United States, but we, what we call
funnel, those passengers through 11 airports around the
country. And at those 11 airports, the Centers for Disease
Control does medical screening for the passengers as they
present themselves at the border.
Senator Capito. Do you feel you have the resources and
capabilities to complete this mission at this point?
Mr. Pekoske. I do feel we have the resources and the
capability. This really has not impacted our domestic screening
operations to date, and we have adequate equipment for our
officers, because as you know, our officers wear gloves as a
matter, of course, anyway. That is part of our requirement.
That is the primary means of transmission for the disease. We
have also authorized our officers in the screening checkpoints
if they would like to wear a surgical mask, they are permitted
to do that, and we provide those masks.
Senator Capito. Do you have any idea how many people have
been denied entrance, non-citizens? Is that a large number?
Mr. Pekoske. It is not a large number, and then of course
an even smaller number that present at the border and then are
referred for further medical screening or quarantine.
REAL ID
Senator Capito. Let's talk about the Real ID. I am really
concerned about this compliance. We all see the little sign
that says by October first. You have to have the real ID,
compliant ID. I told you earlier today that I did not realize
that my driver's license is not compliant although I thought
that it was, and it has to have a gold star in the right hand
corner, which I checked a couple of times.
This to me could really present to be a major nightmare for
TSA. So, how do you suggest or how are you moving forward to
making sure, and what are you doing with the States to make
sure that people know that this is--your life is going to
change. And so I would like to hear your explanation.
Mr. Pekoske. Thanks for the question, Chairman. And we have
done messaging for literally years on Real ID compliance. But
what we find is that when we post messages at the screening
checkpoints, people will generally just walk by them. They
don't stop to read those messages. So that has not been the
most effective means, and of course we put all messaging on our
website, but you have to go to the TSA website to receive it.
What we did recently beginning last August was we asked our
officers, if a passenger presented him or herself at the
screening checkpoint, provided their driver's license and the
officer noticed that that was not a Real ID driver's license,
which is very easy to figure out because like you said it has
got that gold star in the upper right hand corner, the officer
would say to the passenger, this license is fine for today's
travel and it is fine for travel all the way up through 1st of
October, but you will need to have a Real ID driver's license
on the 1st of October of 2020.
The other thing that we remind passengers of, and our
messaging is very robust on this, is that there are other forms
of acceptable ID in addition to a driver's license. For
example, a passport is an acceptable form of ID. If you are a
member of the military, military CAT card is an acceptable form
of ID. If you are a global entry trusted traveler enrollee and
you have a card for global entry that is an acceptable form of
ID. We just need to remind people to remember to bring those
other acceptable forms of ID, if they have them, to the
checkpoint.
Final thing, chairman, that we are doing is we are working
through the carriers, and the carriers have been terrific in
helping us out with this, to post on their websites as a
passenger is making a reservation, hey, just remember that as
of October, if you are making a reservation after October, you
need to have a Real ID driver's license.
And then, we will also ask them in the check-in process, as
we get closer to October 1st, as a passenger goes to check in,
that they provide that additional information so the passengers
that don't have them either bring something else that can get
them through the screen checkpoint or change their travel
plans.
Senator Capito. Well, we want to work with you to be able
to get--I just said I am envisioning, you know, people have a
tendency to put everything off. They wait till the last minute.
You got to get four or five different types of ID to go in and
get your Real ID. So we want to be helpful however we can. And
so I will turn now to Senator Shaheen.
Senator Shaheen. Thank you. Administrator Pekoske, I
appreciate the work that TSA is doing on this but I share the
concern from Senator Capito that there are a lot of people who
have no idea that this is an issue and I didn't hear your
response to her question of do you think we will be ready by
October the 1st?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, Senator Shaheen. You know, I am very
concerned about this as well. I mean TSA is going to be the
agency front and center when Real ID implementation occurs on
October 1st. We are looking at everything we can do to minimize
and mitigate the impact on travel because the last thing we
want are more people standing in line at a screening checkpoint
and they might learn that they won't be able to make their
flight or even travel that day.
We are working very closely with the airports to find
whatever means we can use to separate off the people that don't
have an acceptable form of ID and handle those passengers
different than everyone else who does have an acceptable form
of ID. Because one of my concerns is, you know, I try to avoid
creating large public gatherings of passengers lined up at the
screening checkpoint. That is a security vulnerability.
So we will do everything we possibly can to mitigate this,
but the reality is that it is a legal requirement that as of
the deadline, if you don't have--if all you are presenting is a
driver's license and it is not Real ID compliant, that is not
acceptable.
COVID-19: RESOURCES
Senator Shaheen. Well, I certainly understand that. I just
flew this weekend with my daughter who was not told by the
screening agent that her driver's license was not Real ID
compliant. So I would urge you to encourage all of your
screening agents to actually do that when they see people.
I want to go back to the question about the coronavirus,
because I understood you to say that you have the resources
that you need. Does that mean that TSA personnel have all the
necessary training and personal protective equipment to respond
to a traveler who may have been exposed to the coronavirus?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, ma'am. We have all the necessary personal
protective equipment available that we think is needed given
what we see today.
Senator Shaheen. And do they have the training? They know
how to respond?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, ma'am. And we message this. In fact, I
just sent a message out to the entire workforce again this
morning on this topic. And just the things that we have all
seen in the media of washing your hands frequently. We provide
hand sanitizer at the checkpoints. We recommend that they
change their gloves more often than they have in the past. And
that they try to keep some distance from passengers because we
have that option in the screening checkpoint.
So, you know, I think we have got the number of people that
we need because this really has not impacted our screening
operations to date, and we will have contingency plans in place
should we have a lot of call-outs. For example, of people that
call in sick that are working for TSA. But I also think at the
same time we will probably see lower passenger volumes as well.
Senator Shaheen. And so, I talked to somebody who came in
from Italy just in the last week who was not screened for
temperature at the airport here in the United States, they were
screened in Europe. Is there a reason for that?
Mr. Pekoske. The CDC, as of a couple days ago, had not
recommended additional measures for either Italy or South
Korea, the two countries that have a good number of cases right
now and two countries that have been very, very forward leaning
on this issue. I expect that in the not-too-distant future we
will look at some measures for any country that, that seems to
present more of a risk for Americans.
FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET REQUEST UNFUNDED ITEMS
Senator Shaheen. The President's budget request eliminates
the Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams,
which is the main way that TSA conducts operations with local
law enforcement for rail and bus safety. Can you speak to why
that budget request was eliminated when we have approximately
76,000 buses that carry 19 million passengers each weekday in
the United States, and that doesn't address the transit and
rail security?
Mr. Pekoske. The reason that and the Law Enforcement
Officer Reimbursement Program (LEO) and the exit lane staffing
were not included in the budget again was just simply due to
affordability reasons. TSA has a top-line budget that we need
to live within and we need to make very difficult trade-offs in
living with that top line.
With respect to VIPR and Law Enforcement Reimbursement
these are very valuable programs for us, make no mistake about
it. I appreciate your comments on the VIPR teams. They provide
very important security augmentation in both the surface modes
and in the airports. And as I look at airports with our
increasing concern about the insider threat, VIPR teams will be
even more valuable going forward. So it is no reflection
whatsoever on the value of those security measures, it is
simply an affordability issue.
Senator Shaheen. And so is the assumption that Congress
will put the money back in because we understand how important
it is and then therefore the Administration can have the money
shown to be used for something else?
Mr. Pekoske. My commitment to every member on the
subcommittee is I will provide you whatever information you
need to make your own determination as to whether or not that
particular program should continue to be funded. I think we
have a very good track record in TSA of being very responsive
to any requests from members or staffs.
Senator Shaheen. So would you like for us to put the money
back in?
Mr. Pekoske. I think the capability that are provided by
VIPR is very important. And another thing I would add to this
discussion is that, you know, VIPRs are staffed by Federal Air
Marshals. One of the things that I am trying to do is to ensure
that we have enough ground based assignments for Federal Air
Marshals so that they aren't flying constantly for 10 or 11
years because that is just not a good use of a resource. So
there is a lot of utility to the VIPR program.
Senator Shaheen. I take that as a, yes. Thank you. Madam
Chair.
Senator Capito. Senator Kennedy.
Senator Tester. Your questions are much more enjoyable than
mine.
[Laughter.]
AIRPORT STAFFING
Senator Kennedy. I am on my best behavior today. Mr.
Administrator, we all fly a lot and I guess we have different
experiences, of course we do, but I will say that not every
time but about two out of three times that I go to the airport,
the TSA person checks me and reminds me about the change in the
ID.
And in fact, that is how I got to learn about it. I
remember reading it about it several years ago, and I remember
thinking what idiot came up with this idea that we all have to
get new identification. I am sure it sounded like a good idea
to somebody at the time.
We have a lot of large airports for which we are grateful,
but in my State we have a lot of small airports, and some of my
people have pointed out to me that when they on occasion go to
our smaller airports, having already paid for PreCheck, they
like to get there early to get settled in, and there is no one
from TSA checking people in. They have shifts, and when they
are not busy, they just don't have a shift. Have you had--do
you have concerns about that? Have you heard complaints about
that?
Mr. Pekoske. Senator Kennedy, at smaller airports, yes, we
do use a lot of shift work, but that shift work is designed to
ensure that the screening checkpoint is open well in advance of
when any flight departures occur. So if there is a specific
issue, I would be most happy to address that.
Senator Kennedy. We will get in touch with you. We have had
some situations where a lot of my people like to get to the
airport early and get settled in, and they get there in a
smaller airport and there is nobody working and they have to
wait till somebody comes on duty.
When I get off a plane and I am exiting the airport, I go
through the exit lane and there is generally a police officer
there saying, you know, to make sure that people don't try to
sneak in which of course is important. Are you familiar with
the LEO program?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir.
FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET REQUEST UNFUNDED ITEMS
Senator Kennedy. I realized that the last time Congress
adopted a President proposed budget was never, but I am curious
as to why you are recommending a cut in the LEO program.
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. The reason for the recommendation
again has no reflection whatsoever on the LEOs. They are very
good partners of ours. We rely on them heavily. The airport
security programs, which is a program that we require the
airports to comply with, always contain a provision that
requires law enforcement presence within a certain number of
minutes at the screening checkpoint.
So it is a regulatory requirement that law enforcement
officers be present. We have overtime reimbursed law
enforcement agencies because we recognize that their budgets
are difficult as well. But the reason why this always appears
in the budget as a reduction is because there is a regulatory
requirement so there is no requirement to reimburse.
And the thought is that over time, those law enforcement
agencies can budget and then basically move themselves off of
the requirement for reimbursement. But I do recognize the
significant value that they provide to us and the partnerships
are very, very strong.
Senator Kennedy. Well, if the LEO program were
substantially reduced or went away, and we have to have the
security, who would pay for it, the airport, or the law
enforcement agency would have to eat it?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. That would be between the law
enforcement agency and the airport. You know, if they could get
into some reimbursable arrangement with the airport, for
argument's sake that would be between them. We would not be
involved. Our requirement is just that there be a law
enforcement officer present in a certain number of minutes
within the checkpoint for obvious security reasons.
Senator Kennedy. But you don't have any plans to eliminate
the LEO program, do you?
Mr. Pekoske. No, sir.
Senator Kennedy. I yield back, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Senator Capito. Senator Tester.
Senator Tester. Yes, thank you, Madam Chair, and I want to
thank Senator Kennedy for that line of questioning because I
can just follow right on it. So see, there is always a plan. So
there are cuts to the LEO program though, and Administrator,
you talked about the fact that there is a requirement if there
is a problem for people to be there.
So let's put this in a reality form. Local Government,
County Government doesn't have a lot of money. They are not
hiring extra cops just to lay around. In fact, I can't think of
a case in Montana where they don't need more police than they
already have because the need out there is greater.
So if we want to expect them to be able to be there and
come to the aid of a potential problem in an airport, they got
to have people to do that. The point I would make is with these
LEO cuts, there is going to be less opportunity for those local
law enforcement agencies to be able to have the money to be
able to bring people on, because they are not going to bring
them on just for this, to be able to come forth.
So the real question here is this your idea to cut the LEO
program or is this the Office of Management Budget's idea to
cut the LEO program?
Because OMB has cut a lot of things in this budget, not
this budget, all budgets, not just yours, all of them. Crop
insurance is a fine example. Some of you don't know what the
hell is going on and OMB cut that program. Purdue would not
have done that. And so it is the same thing here. I can't
imagine you doing this.
Mr. Pekoske. So, the way we work the budget is every single
agency in the Department Homeland Security, which I know well,
receives a top-line. And every year we get a top-line number
and we just need to make sure that our budget submissions are
within that top line. That requires some very difficult
decisions.
Senator Tester. This budget runs a $1 trillion deficit.
Mr. Pekoske. I know.
Senator Tester. The President's budget runs a $1 trillion
deficit. We have passed budgets were we have more money than
anything I have ever seen since I have been here in the last 12
years, yet we are taking a potential--maybe I just see it
wrong. Maybe flying is no big problem. May be putting those
planes into the Twin Towers is a one-time thing. It is never
going to happen again, but I don't think so.
Mr. Pekoske. Nor do I, sir. You know, I think the risk with
aviation is as great, if not greater than it was on 9/11.
TSA STAFF HIRING
Senator Tester. Than it was 20 years ago, that is right.
So, let me let me peel on to this a little bit deeper. The
Washington Post reported that the TSA has already frozen hiring
and overtime in fiscal year 2020. There is a little cost of
living adjustment that has put us in that situation, and quite
frankly, we haven't allowed enough dollars for the cost of
living adjustment. You combine that with the LEO program, with
the VIPR program. What is the Department doing?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir, with respect to the hiring freeze,
all we are trying to do is manage the funds we have as best we
can, as efficiently as we can. And so what we are not doing is
we haven't stopped recruiting. We haven't stopped issuing offer
letters for people for employment. But we have decided to do is
bring them on at certain points in time so we save the salary
cost in between.
Senator Tester. This looks like a disaster waiting to
happen, and I am not being critical of you. I like you. I think
you are a good guy. But the fact the matter is, have you
thought about doing a reprogramming or transfer to take care of
this problem?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. Reprogramming of some of my own
funds and then a reprogramming request to our Department.
Senator Tester. And when will we receiving that
notification?
Mr. Pekoske. That is still under review, sir. And I don't
know what the response is going to be from the Department or
from the Office of Management Budget yet, but the request has
been submitted.
SCREENING TECHNOLOGY
Senator Tester. Well, Senator Hoeven is here. He is the
chairman of the Indian Affairs committee and we have this
conversation with the IHS and the BAA all the time. If this is
something that has to be done, you need to fight for it. It is
just really important. I think it is really important. Okay, so
there is a--the best technology for screening passengers and
luggage.
We have supported the new CT machines and you know that,
need more of them. Quite frankly, as I said in my opening
statement, this budget requests 30, we need over 2,200 of them.
How is this going to come to reality over time? Look, we get
briefed all the time about the change in threat. You know more
about change threat than we do. So isn't the best of technology
a pretty absolute necessity?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. Absolute a necessity as soon as we
can get it on board. And with respect to----
Senator Tester. But don't you have to ask for dollars to
get it on board?
Mr. Pekoske. We do. Yes, sir. And I will explain why that
request is $30 million in just a second. But just to reiterate
that the capability of the CT technology is night and day
compared to the current technology we have and we need to get
to this point. We need to get there as quickly as we can. And
you are right, the numbers are high.
I mean it is, you know, between 21 and 2,400 X-ray machines
throughout our system. We decided last year, we put--we issued
the first contract with the money that you appropriated in
fiscal year 2019 for the initial 300 machines. That contract
was a contract that was on an existing contract vehicle that we
had but we knew that we were going to have to put a new
contract vehicle in place for all the follow-on acquisitions.
This contract vehicle that we are putting in place is a big one
because just take, let's say for argument's sake, you take
2,000, you take 300 off, there are 1,700 machines. That is a
lot of capability, a lot of investment on the part of the
Federal Government, but very, very necessary investment.
What we have done is we have decided that we don't want to
be in the business of taking those roller systems. You know,
those rollers that feed your carry-on bag into the tunnel of
the X-ray and then you pick it up at the end. We want to see an
integrated solution to those because our experience is
government does not do integrated products well.
And so, we are in the process of working with all the
vendors that qualified for the initial acquisition and asking
them in today, or yesterday rather, they should have submitted
what they think their solution is for this combined baggage
handling system and X-ray technology.
And then we are going to go through a testing process.
mostly on the integration because we don't need to retest the
X-ray technology. We will be in a position to issue the request
for proposals for this new very large contract probably mid-
summer of this year. And then we will go through the bid
process and we expect an award probably a year from there
because it is going to take some time to work through that
process.
Senator Tester. And then when would the delivery be?
Mr. Pekoske. The delivery will follow immediately after
that.
Senator Tester. So we are talking 2 years from now.
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. But in the meantime----
Senator Tester. And you are comfortable that?
Mr. Pekoske. I wish it could be a lot faster but this----
Senator Tester. Are there ways we could speed it up?
Mr. Pekoske. I am working every single angle I can.
Senator Tester. Well, the point is that we are here to help
you speed it up. If you give us ideas on how to speed it up, I
think you would get bipartisan support for that.
Mr. Pekoske. Will do. Thank you.
Senator Capito. Senator Hoeven.
REAL ID
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I appreciate it.
So I went and got my Real ID here last week and am pleased to
say the State of North Dakota is on top of it, doing an
outstanding job. And the process was really good when I went
and the challenge is ahead of time getting roughly four
different types of ID you need. You know, I am guessing
everybody's got some of them, but between myself and my wife,
we didn't have all of them. Our social security cards, you
know, we lost track of them like 40, 50 years ago.
So we had to go get those. But the point is a lot of folks
are going to show up October 1st to see your front line people
at TSA, who are doing a fine job and we appreciate them a lot,
and what are you going to do? Because I mean our State is
promoting it. I know the other States are promoting it.
I think you are trying to get the word out, but you are
still going to have a lot of people show up October 1st who are
going to want to get on a plane and you are going to tell them
no, you don't have a Real ID compliant driver's license. And
they are going to go, oh, I know and I am sure going to go get
it, but golly, we got to go see my grandma or you name it. What
is your contingency plan?
Mr. Pekoske. A couple of things. First, on the processing
part. When the regulation was first issued back I believe in
2008, a lot of the electronic forms of submission of documents
did not exist. And so we worked with the State DMVs who have
been very, very good partners for us in this process and we
asked for their input as to things we could do to make the
document process more electronic.
They came out with some very good recommendations and now
we are working through the regulatory process to change that.
So the process for people should be easier going forward.
Senator Hoeven. That is good because particularly for young
people, they do everything electronic now. That is important.
Mr. Pekoske. Exactly. And plus you are not carrying a bunch
of documents with you, leaving them behind, things like that. I
mean, it is just better overall. So that process should be in
place sometime in the not-too-distant future. I don't have a
date for that yet. With respect to people showing up at the
screening checkpoint, one of the things that is really
important to me is what you all pay me to do, is to ensure
security in our system.
And so we will not compromise security in any way, shape,
or form with passengers who show up at our screening
checkpoints with an ID that we can no longer by law accept as
of the deadline date. We just can't since it would be against
the law to do that. And so we are going to have to have an
enhanced screening process because that is what we do. Our
standard operating procedure calls for, if a passenger shows
up--and it happens every day, passengers show up that they lost
their driver's license, misplaced it. We have a process to get
them through screening but it is lengthy.
And so what will happen without a doubt, even if there are
just several hundred people which is an under estimate of what
we think is going to occur in any individual airport, it is
going to take those individuals a long time to get through our
process. And there really is no way around it because when we
do screening for people without the acceptable forms of ID,
that is full bag search and that is a full on body pat-down.
That takes a lot longer than having your bag go through the
machine and having us look for specific anomalies in that bag
or walking through a metal detector and not alarming it.
Senator Hoeven. Is that going to hold up the person with
the Real ID and then they are going to miss their flight?
Mr. Pekoske. We are working every way we can to make sure
that doesn't happen.
Senator Hoeven. I think you are going to have to have--
look, it is going to happen. And your folks on the front line
are doing a fine job. They are going to be confronted with some
real challenges. I think you better have a clear plan and
really lay it out and we are going to have to know exactly how
it is going to work, because I guarantee people are going to
show up and you are going to have this issue. And I am saying,
yeah, we need to get the word out. Let's do more of that. You
still have to have a contingency plan.
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir.
Senator Hoeven. If I were a frontline worker sitting there,
I would want to know there is a contingency plan and I would
want to know what it is because I am going to be facing a lot
of folks that are going to get pretty angry if they can't get
on that plane because they just have to go.
Mr. Pekoske. Right. And I am going to be front and center
on that issue if it happens at airports around the country. I
am keenly aware of that and we will do everything we can to
mitigate the impact but there will be an impact.
Senator Hoeven. And I think, you know, we will help however
we can and States will help. But this is something--it has to
be both the communication but then you have to have a plan that
day because you will have to handle those people, and we need
to know what that is.
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. But I would just add that no matter
what we do, because we have limited capability of screen
checkpoints as you know. I mean some checkpoints only have a
fixed number of lanes, no matter what we do, for people that
don't have a Real ID driver's license, it will take longer. And
it could take a lot longer. And as you pointed out, even for
passengers that have the Real ID or have a passport, there will
be some time impact to them, but we will try to minimize that
as much as we can.
SCREENING TECHNOLOGY
Senator Hoeven. I had one other question. Madam Chairman,
do you want me to wait? I have one more. The other question
follows up on something that the ranking member brought up. We
have some really fantastic rural States represented here like
North Dakota and Montana and West Virginia and Louisiana and
even Oklahoma. And, what are you going to do to get those--can
you talk about those scanners, you talked about those CAT
scanners, out.
And Senator Tester is right. I mean, we need those things
out there. You need a lot more of them. How about some more--
what are you going to do in a rural airports, right? Because we
know you are going to give me the urban airports, but we got a
lot of rural airports out there that we are worried about. What
is the plan?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. We planned even in our initial 300
buy, to make sure that we spread the distribution across all
sizes of airports, because as you point out, every single--
there is no airport that is less important than another one.
Because as a passenger, if you get through security, you are in
the entire system. And so I want to make sure that we put the
technology out at rural airports and at the same level that we
do for the larger airports.
Senator Hoeven. Very important point. Well-made. Thank you.
Mr. Pekoske. Thank you.
REAL ID
Senator Capito. Thank you. Before I go to Senator Lankford,
I would just like to ask, Senator Kennedy said whose brilliant
idea was it that we have a Real ID. If you could maybe in 30
seconds say whose brilliant idea that was and when that was
conceived.
Mr. Pekoske. It was the Real ID Act of 2005.
Senator Capito. That would be Congress, yes. Senator
Lankford.
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
Senator Lankford. If it is of any help to you, Senator
Kennedy, you weren't here when that passed and so you won't
have to worry about taking that one. So, thanks for being here.
Thanks for the work. All of us go through the process of TSA,
all of us are grateful for the folks that are standing there in
blue doing a great job.
And I would tell you in the airports that I fly out of
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the most out of those two airports,
and I fly out of Oklahoma City more often than I do out of
Tulsa, it is a remarkable group of folks that are there. And
what they do, the attitude they do it with, the speed and the
efficiency they do it with, are really a tremendous group of
folks. And if you get the opportunity to be able to come to
Oklahoma City and Tulsa and to be able to meet those folks, I
would encourage you to be able to do it and to be able to see
how they are doing it because they are really doing it
extremely well.
And I know they are in a process in our airport, have taken
time to be able to merge several sites and doing what all other
ports are doing right now. They are really doing a remarkable
job. Let me ask you a couple of quick questions on things. TSA
has requested an increase of 28 positions on countering
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
Tell me a little bit about what you plan to do with that.
There is obviously authorization that Congress gave you a
couple of sessions ago on it. What is happening and what are
those positions being used for?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir. What has happened since the
congressional authorization is that we have worked through the
interagency process with the National Security Council staff
and have developed a concept of operations for counter UAS
operations in the United States, focused primarily on what we
call the core 30 airports, the 30 largest airports where if
there was a disruption in any of those airports, it would have
a significant cascading effect on the rest of the system in the
United States.
So we have a concept of operations. Part of that concept of
operations was the designation of a lead Federal agency, and
TSA has been designated as that lead Federal agency. So as the
lead Federal agency, we have responsibility for making sure
that con-ops is implemented in a timely fashion. These
resources provide us with additional staff to do airport
vulnerability assessments, for example, because we do a
separate vulnerability assessment for UAS vulnerabilities at
those core 30 airports.
We eventually, Senator Lankford, we want to open that
aperture a bit to get to some still large airports that
wouldn't be part of the core 30. The other part of that request
is to provide us some additional attorneys to be able to
support our counter UAS operation, some additional watch
standers to do it. And then within the Department of Homeland
Security's Science and Technology budget, there is a good
amount of money to do some additional research on the ability
to detect, monitor, and identify UASs in air space.
We have good, strong international partnerships and some
other DHS agencies do counter UAS operations like the Secret
Service and like the Coast Guard. We are trying to take those
best examples to be able to provide to airports what we call a
qualified products list, which is equipment that we have
tested, we have certified--it meets a certain performance
threshold and we have determined that it is affordable for
maintenance and reliability.
Senator Lankford. Right. But this is for countering the
threat? This is detection and countering threat.
Mr. Pekoske. Initially, detection monitoring identification
just to know what threat is there, and then follow on, on the
countering.
Senator Lankford. Okay. Please tell me you are spending
more on science than you are on attorneys in this process.
Mr. Pekoske. We definitely are.
Senator Lankford. Okay, thank you. You listed three of them
there and I just want to be able to figure out where the
priorities were on it. And known negations to attorneys. We
need at least one in the country.
But that is always my concern, is that we spend a lot on
consultants and about chasing things rather than the actual
application of it. So I look forward to seeing that. 28 enough
to be able to do that? You have got a core 30 facilities there
that you are doing the evaluation on. Is 28 staff enough for
that?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, 28 is enough because we are using a lot
of Federal Air Marshals support to deal with multiple
assessments and we partner strongly with the FBI on this as
well.
AIRBORNE TOXINS
Senator Lankford. Okay, thank you. We will want to be able
to get an update on that and how that is going. In your
detection obviously you are looking for immediate threats to an
aircraft, to the staff, to the pilots, all those things coming
into the aircraft. One of the threats that is out there is an
airborne release of fentanyl or other chemicals as well.
How is it going on doing your detection of trying to move
from explosives and a firearm to different airborne toxins like
fentanyl or something else that may be getting into an
aircraft?
Mr. Pekoske. So we are making some progress on that but
candidly, you know, most of our focus is on explosives because
the explosive set is very dynamic, it changes over time. We
look at the intelligence. We look at what our adversaries are
developing and try to stay ahead of them in that regard.
And that spills all the way over to for example canine
training because we train canines for a certain odor set that
has got to be constantly refreshed. But that, not to minimize
the threat from Fentanyl and any other airborne agent.
Senator Lankford. Okay. I would only say I know that
Customs and Border Patrol, other folks are working on
technology to do rapid scanning for things like fentanyl,
opioids, and all of the things that are coming in. Once they
are transported into the system, as you mentioned before, if
someone gets through into the system in any airport, they can
get through to every airport on it.
If drugs and contraband or some other things are getting
in, and some of those could be airborne released and become
lethal or become an issue as well, all of those technologies I
would encourage you to work with other areas of DHS and the
technology they are using for screening to see if there is a
way to be able to actually build that in the algorithm of what
we are using for screening as well.
There are several different companies that are out there
that do the rapid testing like you do for explosives on your
hands, for random testing. They do that exact same type of
testing, to be able to actually test for fentanyl or other
things as well that might also be helpful for us to be able to
help do some other detection and that might be something that
can be built into the screen that you already do.
So, it is not a second type of test, but if you are already
doing that swab, it would show up as well in that algorithm. So
if there are ways that we can help or things that you need
engagement on, pleased to be able to continue to see your work
on that. Thank you.
SCREENING TECHNOLOGY
Senator Capito. Thank you, Senator. I had a couple of other
questions and I am sure Senator Tester does too so we will
proceed that way. I am not sure I quite understand why we have
300 CT scanners now and this budget asks for 30 more, and I
know you have been asked this question a couple different ways.
What is the maximum number that you think you need in the end?
And why are we only asking for 30 now as opposed to keeping
those numbers ramped up to an achievable number?
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, Chairman. You know, the CT acquisition is
my highest priority acquisition program because of the
significant improvement it makes in our ability to detect. You
provided in the fiscal year 2020 budget a little over $200
million for CT as well. And so we will take that money and
apply it--once this contract is in place, that money will be,
those funds will be available to us.
So if you take the $200 plus million that are in the fiscal
year 2020 budget plus the $30 million we are requesting in the
fiscal year 2021 budget. That will give us a good start on the
acquisition. We think the total number of X-rays is probably
around 2,400 because we are planning for growth. Air travel is
increasing it roughly 4 percent year-over-year.
The other aspect that I would highlight for you is that we
have very strong partnerships with the carriers in the airports
on technology, and the Congress provided those the legal
authority to accept technology as a gift from the private
sector. And we can also accept services as a gift from a
private sector entity now. We have found the carriers in the
airports to be very generous in gifting this technology.
Senator Capito. So is that occurring right now?
Mr. Pekoske. That is occurring right now. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Capito. So are you saying that the money that we
gave in fiscal year 2020 combined with this money is only going
to go for the 300 initial? Are you saying this was for the 30?
Mr. Pekoske. No, no. The 300 initial were funded in fiscal
year 2019.
Senator Capito. Okay, so that is done. So you will combine
that so it will be more than 30 in the end?
Mr. Pekoske. We will.
Senator Capito. Okay. But still that is so slow if your
requirement--and of course the technology is going to change in
the next 10 years. So by the time you get the CT scanner to
Yeager airport, it is going to be off to something else.
Mr. Pekoske. Well, actually we think the CT technology is
an enduring technology, but what will change is all the
software that goes into that technology. And so one of the
reasons that we wanted to put them all in this new procurement
is where we have several different algorithm development
processes going on at the same time. And we, for example, just
now issued a new release on a testing basis that has vastly
improved detection capability. So we are going to step up the
capability over time. But we just found that both the vendors
and the agency needed a bit more time to make sure as we deploy
these.
Senator Capito. Okay. I know also in rural airports, and
one of the issues is and it was pointed out when I went on the
tour with you is, sometimes there is confined spaces or there
is not enough place to conveniently locate these machines.
There are a little larger so that reconfiguring the airport is
a challenge for our smaller airports, so I understand that.
Let me talk about the CAT procurement. It is along the same
lines. You are deploying that now but there is no plan for this
same technology to go into the smaller airports. How do you
intend to ensure that the smaller airports are going to have
something like this or this kind of security? I mean, we
obviously saw Senator Tester mention 9/11.
We saw that the perpetrators came in through the smaller
airport. And so I know you take each airport just too
seriously. If you could respond to that.
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, ma'am. You know, we fully intend to start
a continuation for the CAT program, beginning in likely fiscal
year 2022 to be able to address the smaller airports. When this
program was initially put in place several years ago, it was
just for the larger airports, but to your point, you know, the
smaller airports are airports we need to pay just as much
attention to.
The other part is that at the smaller airports, it was
sometimes difficult to make the high-speed data secure
connections at the smaller airports than it would be at a large
airport.
Senator Capito. Well, that would be rural broadband, right?
Mr. Pekoske. That is right.
TSA STAFFING
Senator Capito. That is our other committee. We talk about
that all time. Let me just see if I can kind of rapid fire
really quickly. How many TSA agents do you have right now,
approximately?
Mr. Pekoske. Approximately 45,000.
Senator Capito. And this budget provides you for an
additional----
Mr. Pekoske. A very small number, actually. It provides us
for about a 1.7 percent increase, but we think that--and we
should always try to find as much efficiency in our process as
we can. The thing that is very important here, and one of the
reasons why those pay initiatives are in the budget is, as you
know, TSA has an attrition rate amongst that 45,000 person
workforce of about 17 percent on average across the system.
That was last year. This year has already come down to
somewhere around 12 percent is running right now.
What I hope happens, and I know hope is not a method but I
think we have got some analysis to support this, is that as we
put out these pay initiatives, our retention will go up. And I
am putting a lot of attention on making sure that we address
all of the workplace issues that our officers and anybody in
TSA has identified in the annual surveys we do.
I mean, I read those things when I visit an airport, I
visit a field office, for example. I look at their individual
survey results so I know what the workforce has said about how
we are doing as an agency. So it is a very concerted effort to
bring the attrition numbers down so that I don't spend money
recruiting and training people that are going to leave in a
very short period of time.
Senator Capito. Well, I commend you too on the plan that
you have. Obviously the two gentleman behind you are part of
that where your detailing off the front lines, TSA agents and
others to make sure that you are listening exactly to what is
going on in the day-to-day life of a TSA agent and what their
specific concerns can be. So I think that obviously gone to the
benefit.
Senator Tester.
REAL ID
Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Capito. I would just say
that a lot of the numbers I am having a hard time making them
add up in my mind and that we are going to have a 4 percent
increase in flyers, we have got a 1 percent increase in
potential bringing folks on. You are going to have to bump up
your salaries, which I agree by the way, at least at the
smaller airports where you got folks coming in, working three
hours, leaving and coming back.
So I hope you can make that work. If you do, we need to put
you work on the Appropriations committee. Maybe the lead
staffer. I want to talk about Real ID for a second. You exist
to keep our traveling passengers safe.
The outfit that really benefits is the airlines, and I know
you worked very, very well with the airlines, but there might
be a possibility--when I get my ticket on this, or if it is a
paper ticket, if they would put on that ticket, if you don't
have a Real ID, this ticket is worthless, it might help you.
Because every time I get on a plane, I look at that and it is
like having a thing on a pack of cigarettes that says, if you
smoke this it is going to cause cancer, it might be a
possibility.
Have you approached the airlines about doing something like
that?
Mr. Pekoske. We have, sir. Some airlines have voluntarily
started to do that. We are looking at a requirement for not
just purchasing of tickets because oftentimes tickets are
purchased by third-party vendors.
Senator Tester. But don't you still have to get a ticket
from Delta or United or from a third party vendor.
Mr. Pekoske. Yes, sir.
And you get that ticket at check-in. So part of what we are
looking at is, as you check in, it is going to say, hey,
remember you have got to have a Real ID driver's license.
Senator Tester. You are right, though. There are some--I
mean I am trying to get as many--but it is amazing how many
people travel with these things now and don't have paper
tickets, which would be pretty damn simple and pretty cost-
effective, I would think. Just a thought.
Mr. Pekoske. And that CAT technology, by the way, Senator,
you don't need a boarding pass for TSA purposes once the CAT.
Senator Tester. Bingo. That is right. No, I mean I went
through an Indianapolis Airport that had it. I was pretty
amazed because I asked them do you want to see my ticket and
they said, no. I said, why not?
[Laughter.]
PRECHECK
Senator Tester. At any rate, TSA PreCheck reached a
milestone of 10 million. Congratulations. I am also aware that
TSA entered into some partnerships with some private companies
to increase enrollment. As TSA PreCheck expands, what is your
overall goal? Everybody?
Mr. Pekoske. Well, everybody won't qualify, but we would
like to see as many applicants as we possibly can because we
know a lot about--these are called trusted travelers. We know a
lot about trusted travelers. And so we adjust our screening
process to accommodate.
Senator Tester. Bingo and I love it. How many additional
folks are going to be registered by the private sector vendors?
What have you been told?
Mr. Pekoske. Well, you know, we are seeing PreChecks,
Senator, increased by about 18 percent year-over-year, and one
of the things that we are doing is we are taking people that
used to get----
Senator Tester. Got to get more. I mean this the first time
you went with private sector vendors?
Mr. Pekoske. We should get more with having a private
sector vendor right now. This adds two additional vendors.
Senator Tester. Okay, so won't that increase it?
Mr. Pekoske. It will and it will also put price competition
in there as well because those vendors may want to bundle other
things that they offer, and they will compete on price for
PreCheck for the things that don't involve the checks that we
do as a Government.
Senator Tester. And so you are confident that it will be
taken care by fees and not add additional cost to the agency?
Mr. Pekoske. I am and I am hoping to see a much higher
level of PreCheck registration for a different reason too is
that PreCheck is going to be even faster than what it is today.
Senator Tester. Yes. Well, I can tell you that the line at
DCA, it is often quicker to go through the line that is not
PreCheck because it is so long. Truthfully, I mean it has been
a very successful program, very successful.
Mr. Pekoske. Right, but we need to work to address some of
those disincentives to make sure that PreCheck on average,
Senator, is always reliably five minutes or less. Every once in
a while it will spike up, but it comes down very, very fast.
Senator Tester. So the heart and soul of your organization
is the guy sitting right behind you and all the people that he
represents, and I will just tell you that we are going to be
working on this budget moving forward. You make good decisions
with good information. You need to give us good information,
okay? Thank you. Appreciate it.
Senator Capito. Thank you. Well, this concludes today's
hearing. Administrator Pekoske, we appreciate you appearing
before the subcommittee, really do, and your fine work. You are
always very thorough and very simple in your explanations,
which I appreciate because well, we are simple people here and
we need those explanations. But in all seriousness, talking to
the American public, you have to be as direct as you possibly
can.
Senator Tester. And neither one of us are lawyers.
ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS
Senator Capito. Yes. The hearing record will remain open
for two weeks from today. Senators may submit written questions
for the record. We ask that the Department respond to them
within a reasonable amount of time.
SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS
Senator Capito. I will say this, last week's hearing with
the Acting head of the Department, I did get the answer to my
question back in less than a week. So if he is listening, thank
you very much for that. So this subcommittee stands in recess.
Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 11:05 a.m., Tuesday, March 3, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of
the Chair.]