Testimony of David P. Pekoske Administrator Transportation Security Administration before House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security on “Fiscal Year[...]

Opening/Introduction

Good afternoon, Chairman Joyce, Ranking Member Cuellar, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to testify on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 President's Budget request, which includes $11.8 billion for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). I am honored to be here and am grateful for the continued, longstanding, and productive partnership TSA enjoys with this Subcommittee, as well as all the support you have provided to the Agency over the years.

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Subcommittee and Congress for fully annualizing the new compensation system for the entire TSA workforce in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. It has been my number one priority to bring TSA's workforce compensation levels commensurate with those of our federal government counterparts, not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it is already paying dividends in ways that will have a measurable impact on our mission performance. This compensation system now matches the minimum compensation levels with the General Schedule (GS) pay scale and as reflected in TSA's 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey scores, its implementation has already improved TSA's morale and overall employee satisfaction. TSA's attrition has dropped from nearly 20 percent to roughly 11 percent today, and there has also been a rise in recruiting, hiring, and retention. With improved employee retention, TSA is able to be more selective in hiring, moving from needing to hire over 11,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSO) in 2018 to only needing to hire 9,000 TSOs in 2023, to keep up with attrition and increased passenger volumes. All of these improvements were made possible by your continued support of TSA's workforce and is fundamental to ensuring transportation security.

I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the superior efforts of the entire TSA workforce and partners from across the spectrum - from private industry to foreign partners and international organizations, advisory committees, academia, State and local governments, and federal partners. They have all helped support, strengthen, and increase TSA's collaboration, security, information sharing, and growth in customer experience in the new travel environment.

Overview of TSA

Today, within the aviation network, TSA is responsible for the security of over 440 federalized airports, with screening services forecasted this summer for over 23,000 domestic flights and nearly 2,600 outbound international flights per day. With travel volume rebounding at unprecedented rates, TSA routinely screens more than 2 million passengers, 5 million carry-on bags, and 1.4 million pieces of checked baggage daily for explosives and other dangerous items in many locations across the nation. Seven of our top 10 busiest days of all time were in 2023, with a record of over 2.9 million passengers. TSA anticipates seeing over three million passengers on a single day at some point this year. Even with these rising numbers, the TSA

workforce continues to rise to the challenge to meet the mission. I commend them for all their efforts and accomplishments, which I would like to convey now. During FY 2023, TSA:

• Implemented the new compensation system aligning TSA employee salaries with the GS scale for Federal employees.
• Completed negotiations on a new, expanded collective bargaining agreement.
• Screened over 858 million passengers, 484 million checked bags, 1.9 billion carry-on items, and pre-screened approximately 1 billion passengers through Secure Flight. TSA also screened a record of over 2.9 million passengers the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
• Reached a cumulative deployment of more than 2,000 Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) machines, with 313 systems added in FY23, including second generation, or CAT-2, upgrade kits that enable the use of mobile driver's licenses and utilize optional facial recognition technology to match credentials to the passenger, while protecting their privacy.
• Added 267 Computed Tomography (CT) X-ray scanners that produce high-quality 3-D images, which reduce the need to touch or manually check bags and eliminate the need to take electronics and travel-size liquids, aerosols, and gels out of carry-on bags.
• Updated the detection algorithm to enhance the passenger experience and improve the performance of the nearly 1,000 Advanced Imaging Technology units that safely screen passengers for on-person metallic and non-metallic threats, such as weapons and explosives, without physical contact, significantly reducing false alarms, enhancing accuracy, and reducing the number of necessary pat-downs.
• Expanded digital identity technologies that securely enhance the customer experience, including testing TSA PreCheck touchless identity solutions, and collaborating with Apple, Samsung, Delta, American Airlines, Google and other private sector partners to incorporate mobile driver's licenses into security checkpoint operations.
• Prevented a record 6,737 firearms, of which 93 percent were loaded, from getting into sterile areas and aircraft cabins. This was an increase of 195 firearms over FY 2022.
• Responded directly to three million traveler questions, typically within two minutes, over social media and via text to AskTSA 275-872. The TSA Contact Center answered 2 million traveler calls and emails, and the TSA Cares helpline assisted more than 71,000 travelers with disabilities, medical conditions, and other special circumstances.
• Celebrated the milestone of 18 million active TSA PreCheck members, enrolled a record of 4 million new members, and processed more than 1.6 million renewals. TSA also welcomed eight new airlines, added a second TSA PreCheck enrollment provider to offer travelers more options, and announced a TSA PreCheck policy change to make it easier for teenagers to accompany enrolled parents or guardians when traveling on the same reservation.
• Provided inflight security on thousands of flights and trained over 5,000 air carrier crew members in self-defense.
• Hired more than 9,000 new TSOs and Security Support Assistants. TSA also trained frontline employees at the new state-of-the-art TSA Academy West at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, and TSA Academy East in Glynco, Georgia, where the 100,000th TSO graduated last September.
• Continued to remain deeply engaged on the evolving cyber threat. TSA issued regulatory policy in both aviation and surface domains to mitigate the cyber threat and build cyber resiliency. This effort was bolstered by TSA's Intelligence and Analysis, who provided close to 100 cyber-threat focused briefings to internal and external stakeholders.
• TSA also maintained responsibility for surface transportation security, which is vast and purposefully open and public in nature. The surface transportation system includes:
  • Mass transit and passenger rail: approximately 6,800 local transit providers serving more than 34 million riders daily.
  • Freight rail: over 570,600 individual freight railroads, including nearly 140,000 miles of rail and more than 1.6 million freight cars handling almost 28 million carloads of vital raw materials and finished products each year.
  • Highway and motor carrier: 1.5 million carriers, over 1,800 over-the-road bus companies, more than 1.8 million trucking companies, and approximately 500,000 school buses transporting nearly 25 million students each day.
  • Pipelines: more than 3.3 million miles of pipeline, transporting over 60 percent of the U.S. energy commodities including natural gas, and crude and refined petroleum.

TSA Priorities- Vision/Strategy/Future Goals

As you know, TSA was established by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States, and was charged with the singular mission of preventing another large-scale act of terrorism on the American transportation system. Since that day, TSA has remained steadfast in a commitment to provide the highest level of security across all modes of transportation and work with partners to stay ahead of evolving threats.

In the years since 9/11, TSA has not only had to address the ever-present physical threats to aviation, but also dynamic and emerging cybersecurity threats to our nation's aviation, rail, hazardous liquid, and natural gas pipeline infrastructure. TSA works closely with the transportation industry to provide nimble and responsive security across all modes of transportation through passenger and cargo screening, vetting and credentialing personnel in critical transportation sectors, law enforcement, regulatory compliance, structured oversight and exercise programs, and international cooperation. TSA has also been entrusted with the REAL ID program, formerly housed within Department of Homeland Security Headquarters and is working to implement the regulations based on the REAL ID Act of 2005. TSA is maximizing engagement with the public, licensing jurisdictions and States, while fully focused on facilitating a smooth transition to full enforcement beginning May 7, 2025.

Chairman Joyce, Ranking Member Cuellar, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I strongly believe that the TSA priorities outlined in the FY 2025 President's Budget request are not only necessary but also vital to the economy. As always, TSA will be very responsive in addressing any questions that you might have throughout this budget process, and I look forward to this discussion and your questions. Thank you.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.