[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 151 (Thursday, December 11, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S6685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JOHN S. PISTOLE

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Madam President, it is my great privilege to 
recognize the distinguished career of John S. Pistole, on the occasion 
of his retirement as the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration. He has been a dedicated public servant and leader for 
the past 31 years. Next year, John will take on an exciting new 
leadership role when he returns to his alma mater, Anderson University, 
as its president.
  I am privileged to have worked with John and received his counsel on 
important issues like addressing the terrorist threats facing our 
Nation in the post-9/11 era, and helping to guide the FBI and TSA to 
successfully meet the challenges brought on by those threats.
  Throughout his career, John has taken on many of the most challenging 
roles in law enforcement. He's fought against organized crime in the 
FBI and led frontline counterterrorism efforts as head of the TSA. 
However, for a person who has had to maintain a tough exterior in these 
roles, John has remained thoughtful, compassionate, and courteous--
important traits which he demonstrated in his appearances before the 
Commerce Committee.
  After earning his law degree at Indiana University in 1981 and 
spending 2 years in private law practice, John decided to enter public 
service by joining the FBI. John rose through the ranks as a special 
agent in Minneapolis and New York. He worked hard--first becoming a 
supervisor at FBI Headquarters, where he was recognized as a role model 
for new FBI agents, and then chosen to be an instructor at the FBI 
Academy. A few years later, John was recognized for his capabilities 
with an opportunity to teach the first sessions at a new International 
Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest.
  In the late 1990s, John got involved with the FBI's efforts to fight 
white-collar crime. In Indianapolis, he created task forces fighting 
fraud and public corruption, and was promoted to Assistant Special 
Agent in Charge at the Boston Field Office. When Egypt Air Flight 990 
crashed off the coast of Rhode Island, John investigated this aviation 
attack that would serve as a prelude to his post-9/11 roles.
  When our Nation was attacked on September 11, 2001, John had just 
been assigned to the Inspections Division at FBI Headquarters though he 
was quickly reassigned to help build FBI's Counterterrorism Division. 
He rose steadily through the ranks, eventually serving as the FBI's 
Deputy Director for more than 5 years. John's exemplary service in that 
role, combined with his experience in counterterrorism and excellent 
management of and care for the FBI workforce, culminated in 2010 when 
he was nominated to be the TSA Administrator.
  John assumed the leadership of TSA at a time when the agency had been 
without a confirmed administrator for a year and a half. During this 
time, the agency had been grappling with the fallout from the Christmas 
Day attack of 2009, and had become a political and media punching bag. 
TSA needed a strong leader to take on the formidable task of improving 
the agency's stature. TSA needed to be effective in its duty to protect 
our Nation, while also finding a way to respond to the public outcry 
over onerous and invasive search procedures. TSA needed to deal with 
dissatisfaction within its own ranks, while navigating a tough fiscal 
environment. We were fortunate when John accepted the President's 
nomination and was confirmed by the Senate unanimously to this 
important role.
  Under John's exceptional leadership, the TSA has maintained a 
compelling track record in preventing terrorist attacks against our 
Nation's transportation networks. The agency has taken a more risk-
based approach to security so as to lessen the burden on the average 
American traveler. Many people point to the TSA's successful PreCheck 
program, which I signed up for last week, as an example of John's great 
work. PreCheck is popular because it makes airport security more 
convenient and predictable, while freeing up TSA resources so the 
agency can be more focused on high-risk areas.
  While John was improving both TSA's effectiveness and the security 
experience for the traveling public, he was simultaneously focusing on 
improving the TSA workforce. By exemplifying the traits he expected of 
his officers, and by taking the time to meet with his workforce and 
address their concerns, he earned their loyalty.
  John took important steps to implement policies that would hold TSA 
staff accountable, and he also demonstrated that security interests can 
be safeguarded while allowing officers to unionize. This was a great 
step forward for officers' labor rights, and has provided a 
constructive way to handle officers' concerns.
  Appointed from outside the organization, John quickly earned the 
respect of TSA employees, who then supported him in reforming outdated 
policies. When TSA moved away from its one-size-fits-all approach, his 
workforce overcame many challenges to implement a more complex risk-
based security process. Without the support John earned from TSA 
employees, that shift would not have been possible. We will always want 
better security and more convenience for less cost, and John has done 
better than anyone yet at striking the right balance.
  John Pistole has long shone as a beacon of integrity in government 
service. Today it gives me great pleasure to commend him--and thank 
him--for his enormous contributions to improving the Nation's security. 
I am grateful for his service to this country and it is an honor to 
call him a friend. I wish John and his family the best as he embarks on 
a new chapter in his distinguished career.

                          ____________________