GOP House Report Blasts TSA, Calls for Reform

A House Republican report blasted the Transportation Security Administration for having a bloated bureaucracy and failing to use technology to effectively screen passengers, setting the stage for expected reform legislation.

The TSA has “lost its way,” said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., one of the agency’s architects, now chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “While we are safer today than we were 10 years ago, this is largely thanks to the vigilance of American citizens and passengers.”

The report, the release of which coincides with the 10th anniversary of the creation of agency, said the TSA is also plagued by the turnover of top management. The report recommended TSA should operate more independently from the Department of Homeland Security, set its own risk-based security standards and work more closely with foreign aviation security agencies.

The report does not address air cargo security, which has been a major focus of House Democrats.

“After 10 years, we cannot continue to rely on luck. It is time for reform,” Mica said. “There are plans to introduce legislation to improve this critical security agency.”

Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobinWash.