Lawmakers line up to blast TSA inefficiencies, travel woes

WASHINGTON—As the furor over the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reaches national levels, officials are grappling with how best to balance airport efficiency with the safety of millions of travelers.

On Sunday, 450 passengers got stranded overnight after missing their flights at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport because of long security screening lines. A week before that the TSA lost 3,000 bags for travelers departing Phoenix. And millions more across the country have faced up to three-hour wait times, causing numerous missed flights and delays.

TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger has been the subject of multiple congressional hearings in recent week as lawmakers search for solutions to the national outcry. Today, at a House Homeland Security committee hearing, Neffenger told lawmakers improvements are underway and new agents and better training will reduce headaches at airports. But some fear the TSA is rife with disorder and overgrown federal bureaucracy.

Neffenger told the committee the TSA expects to screen 100 million more passengers this year, compared to 2013 numbers, and his staff has decreased by 12 percent across the board. This, coupled with a renewed focus on security has made it nearly impossible for TSA officers to keep up with demand.

But some lawmakers didn’t buy Neffenger’s explanation for the unprecedented wait times.

“This crisis didn’t just come out of nowhere,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the committee chairman. “Wait times are not soaring simply because security is that much tighter. It’s because the TSA bureaucracy has gotten weaker.”

Two weeks ago, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee exposed some of the problems with the agency’s administration, scolding Neffenger for allowing lush bonuses for senior TSA officials while leaders complained they lacked resources to meet demand.

Kelly Hoggan, the TSA’s head of security, got more than $90,000 in bonuses on top of his $181,500 annual salary even though his division routinely missed weapons and other banned items during security tests.

Neffenger fired Hoggan this week after the money trail went public. But he told lawmakers today Hoggan remains on paid administrative leave with his full salary.

Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., said bonuses are not the only thing the TSA wastes money on. She asked Neffenger about reports of TSA officers used to provide screenings for presidential campaign rallies, sporting events, and concerts.

Neffenger confirmed more than 750 officers are on standby for such events.

“If everything we’ve heard today about the importance of keeping our transportation safe and making sure that people can get there in a timely manner in this [staffing] crisis, where is the priority of supporting these events that have nothing to do with your core mission?” McSally questioned.

Congress recently granted a request to reallocate $34 million to the TSA so it can hire 768 new screening officers. Neffenger said those recruits are in addition to regular hiring. The additional employees are on track to finish training and start work by June 15.

Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., said part of the TSA reform process needs to look at compensation levels for travel security officers on the front lines.

“They are the last line of defense, and they truly have a thankless job,” Payne said.

Neffenger agreed, and told the committee the average travel security officer processes 13,000 passengers per day. And as airports continue to increase bag checking fees, more travelers are using multiple carry-ons. According to Neffenger, officers see four times as many carry-on bags than checked luggage, which causes more congestion and increased pressure on officers to flag troublesome items.

To help alleviate some of that pressure, the TSA is ramping up a pre-check program for frequent travelers, who can pay an $85 fee to get access to expedited screening lines after passing a background check.

Neffenger said 92 percent of pre-check lines have wait times of five minutes or less. He hopes to get 25 million Americans enrolled, which will account for about 50 percent of daily traffic in U.S. airports.

The TSA chief also told Congress about 20 percent of his 60,000 employees are part-time workers. In the coming months, the TSA will look to hire those employees as full-time staff.

Hiring thousands of full-time officers from its pool of part-time staff will ease wait times at airports almost overnight, Neffenger said.