Homeland Security - TSA

What a dismal mess our homeland security is in. Our borders are ineffective, we are being invaded by millions of illegals, transportation security can be readily breached, we are consistently having cyber-attacks and breeches, our infrastructure is frail, and the security for those at the highest levels of government is a joke. This is all due to the ineffective leadership at all levels of the Department of Homeland Security and poor execution of the department’s missions which is “With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.”

The Department of Homeland Security controls and is responsible for the following major agencies:

  •  Transportation Security Administration (TSA) - TSA protects the nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.

  •  Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) - CISA leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to our cyber and physical infrastructure.

  •  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - FEMA supports our citizens and first responders to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

  •  Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) - FLETC provides career-long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently.

  •  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - USCIS is the federal agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States.

  •  U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) - USCG is the only military organization within DHS and protects the maritime economy and the environment, defends our maritime borders, and saves those at risk.

  •  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - CBP's priority mission is to keep terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. CBP also secures and facilitates trade and travel while enforcing regulations, including immigration and drug laws.

  •  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - ICE promotes homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration.

  •  U.S. Secret Service (USSS) - USSS safeguards the nation's financial infrastructure and payment systems to preserve the integrity of the economy, and protects national leaders, visiting heads of state and government, designated sites, and National Special Security Events.

I will look at each major agency under the Department of Homeland Security starting with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is one of the prime examples of the abject failure by our federal government. The agency repeatedly has been called out for spending vast amounts of money on unproven toys and techniques and then failing to assess their effectiveness—or just leaving them to gather dust. TSA is wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars by inefficiently deploying screening equipment and technology to commercial airports. The vast majority of screening machines purchased for deployment at airports, had been stuck in storage for more than nine months. Some equipment remained warehoused for the majority of its usable lifespan.

After 20 years of failure, the Transportation Security Administration continues to waste resources, harass travelers, and actively mug air passengers. It is far more of a threat than the dangers from which it supposedly protects us.

Covert, in-house tests of the TSA security tests showed that the TSA screeners failed to detect weapons, drugs, and explosives almost 80 percent of the time. While the exact failure rate is classified, multiple sources indicate it is greater than 70 percent. Sadly, these results are not surprising. The TSA has a history of failing to uphold basic security standards.

Why is Congress not demanding serious changes be made in the TSA? Congress cannot stand idly by and watch as the TSA continually fails to uphold basic standards and loses the faith of the American people. In any other business, 95 percent, 80 percent, or even 70% failure rates over the course of several years would not be acceptable. Any vendor who failed to deliver on his promises, or any employee that failed to show up to work that often, would be fired.

It is time to fire the TSA from front-line screening. The best solution to our broken airport security system is to privatize TSA screeners. The TSA would still be responsible for setting and overseeing aviation for security rules—in fact, rather than running and struggling to manage a large screening workforce, it could focus exclusively on setting standards, testing the system, and figuring out how to improve security. The TSA would then be able to improve its oversight role.

TSA needs to switch immediately to mandate airports to use private screeners who would be responsible for monitoring the screening process. This allows private security companies to manage their screening workforces which would strengthen screeners capabilities and would increase productivity, security, provide better accountability, and be more cost-effective. Additionally, if the private workers did not meet safety standards, they could promptly be fired and replaced, unlike in the current system.

We cannot afford to wait for the next terror attack to become serious about reforming our airport security system. Congress needs to privatize the TSA to protect travelers from the very real threats our nation faces.

NOTE: A pdf version of this document is available by clicking here !