▶ 0:07:53Acting Administrator McNeel, I sincerely thank you for being here, even though you've been here longer than me. I'm going to skip all that. Um, I'll now turn to my colleague, Miss Underwood, for her opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Miss McNeel, welcome to our subcommittee and congratulations on your appointment. It was good to meet with you last week. As we all know, TSA has no freedom to fail. Whether it's at the train station or at the airport, our transportation security officers must get it right.
▶ 0:08:22Screening well over 2 million people per day, 247, 365 days a year. This is a highstakes, high-press job where transportation security officers, or TSOs, welcome travelers from all walks of life while screening millions of passengers and bags each day. TSOs need less stress at work, not more, so that they can focus on keeping our skies secure.
▶ 0:08:44But under this administration, DHS has abandoned its collective bargaining agreement with nearly 50,000 TSOs, including about 2500 in Illinois. Stripping away those protections makes it harder for officers to do their jobs effectively. This decision was made with no data or savings, no data on savings or benefits to show the taxpayer other than vague comments from DHS about how the union representatives for TSOs will have to go back to work.
▶ 0:09:10The truth is there is significant uncertainty about whether the traveling public will benefit from this action in a meaningful way. So far, the best that TSA can do is show us $35,000 in savings. Beginning in 2024 and prior to the cancellation of collective bargaining, TSA had reduced attrition rates by nearly half in and in an agency that has historically struggled with staffing, actions like this only threaten morale and make it harder for TSOs to stay focused on their core mission.
▶ 0:09:38That kind of consistency in the workforce is what helps to improve TSA's ability to find contraband and keep dangerous people off planes. Deputy Administrator McNeel, while I understand that this action was taken before your most recent tenure, this subcommittee needs a more substantive justification than TSA has provided so far. As far as today's hearing is concerned, we are here to get more information on the skinny budget, which proposes a cut of $247 million or about 3% of TSA's overall budget.
▶ 0:10:08Last week, Secretary Gnome said in her hearing that these cuts were meant to demonstrate reduced TSA screening presence for activities such as exit lane monitoring. However, just a couple months ago, the Trump administration agreed to an anomaly in the fullear funding bill to increase TSA funding by $450 million provided by Congress. And while we have no insight into the reasoning behind these cuts when the only justification provided in the skinny budget is angry rhetoric about the prior administration.
▶ 0:10:38I'm also concerned that this budget fails to meet TSA's security needs. For example, we know that TSA's screening equipment requires upgrades, but it appears that funding is being deprioritized in this administration to fund political priorities. If screening operations are underresourced, it puts our ability to detect dangerous weapons, drugs, and trafficking activity at serious risk and the consequences could be catastrophic.
▶ 0:11:04Miss McNeel, while I understand this proposal was written by your predecessors, you are TSA's leader, and during today's hearing, we are looking for more accurate and relevant information than we've seen thus far from the department under this administration so that we can do the incredibly important work of resourcing TSA to keep Americans safe. Thank you, and I yield back. Madame acting administrator, without objection, uh your full written testimony will be entered into the record.
▶ 0:11:33And with that in mind, we would ask you to summarize to the extent possible your opening statement. The floor is yours for five minutes. Good afternoon, Chairman Amade, Ranking Member Underwood, and distinguished members of this subcommittee. Thank you for the invitation to testify before you today on behalf of the Transportation Security Administration. I'm honored to be here and grateful for the long-standing and productive partnership TSA shares with this distinguished subcommittee.
▶ 0:12:02I would like to start by thanking TSA's employees for their unrelenting efforts day in and day out to secure the nation's transportation systems. TSA is an agile security agency embodied by a dedicated and professional workforce that works tirelessly to outmatch an increasingly sophisticated and dynamic threat. Today, TSA stands at an important strategic crossroads.
▶ 0:12:24The upcoming 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics present an enormous opportunity for the nation to boldly transform and modernize travel. The pres the president, Secretary Gnome, and this administration are committed to delivering a golden age of US travel, one that Americans will be proud of and deserve. The importance of a seamless and secure US transportation system cannot be overstated economically, logistically, and strategically.
▶ 0:12:52US travel is a $2.9 trillion dollar industry employing more than 15 million workers nationwide. Metrics expected to continue growing larger. While the previous administration prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion in a collective bargaining agreement that undermined our vital mission, under Secretary Gnome's leadership, we are recommitting TSA to its core mission, leaning into innovation, organizational accountability, and a renewed focus on SEC security and the passenger
▶ 0:13:22experience. TSA's fortified aviation security will be coupled with an improved, streamlined, and consistent experience at airports nationwide. I also want to acknowledge our traveling families and the efforts currently underway at TSA to lighten the burden of air travel for them. In the near future, we will begin implementing plans to ease some of the stress families face moving in and out of airports.
▶ 0:13:45As American families plan trips in the coming years, they can rest assured that at TSA, we will implement processes that put them first, strengthening and empowering family values through commercial aviation. I am excited to share more about these initiatives with this subcommittee and the American people in the coming weeks. With TSA screening over three million passengers on peak days, commercial aviation remains a top target for nefarious actors.
▶ 0:14:12The future of aviation security will be a balance of human talent and leveraging emerging technology. With the continued support of Congress, TSA is deploying state-of-the-art screening technology to airports nationwide, equipping the screening workforce with the tools they need to combat evolving threats. Two examples are credential authentication or CAT machines and computed tomography or CT machines.
▶ 0:14:37CAD is an aviation security gamecher, improving identity verification at checkpoints, verifying reservations, and performing real time secure flight checks to ensure passengers receive the appropriate level screening. CT is a state-of-the-art X-ray scanner applying sophisticated algorithms for the detection of explosives and threat items by creating a 3D image which can be viewed and rotated 360 degrees for a thorough analysis by a TSA officer.
▶ 0:15:06Underpinning all of this is the necessity that all passengers seeking to board an airplane carry identification that meets critical security standards. These standards are in place to combat fraudulent IDs and prevent bad actors from inflicting harm on the American people. Under the leadership of Secretary, as of May 7th, TSA is fully enforcing Real ID requirements at all airports without impeding the flow of passengers through the checkpoint.
▶ 0:15:32We are happy to report that thus far 93% of IDs presented at TSA checkpoints were either real ID compliant or another acceptable form of ID. This initial success is a testament of the hard work of the men and women serving at TSA. In conclusion, the future of TSA will be marked by a laser focus on delivering for the American people.
▶ 0:15:55What that means is a fortification of travel security, a renewed commitment to the passenger experience, and serving as a responsible steward of the American tax dollar. TSA looks forward to continuing to work with Congress, industry, and other stakeholders to strengthen transportation security and improve the passenger experience. Chairman Amade, Ranking Member Underwood, and members of the subcommittee, it is a privilege to testify before you today. I thank you for your support and look forward to your questions. Thank you, ma'am.
▶ 0:16:25Miss Underwood, floor is yours for five minutes for questions. Miss McNeel, thanks for being here today. TSA plays a vital role in safeguarding our nation's transportation systems while ensuring the free movement of people in commerce. However, this administration's fiscal year 2026 budget proposes large cuts to TSA's workforce and operations, particularly affecting small commercial and general aviation airports, including those serving rural and suburban communities like mine in Illinois's 14th district.
▶ 0:16:52General aviation airports, often with limited or no on-site security, remain vulnerable entry points in our transportation system. As security at commercial airports, has strengthened, these gaps continue to pose real risk to communities like mine. With these cuts in fiscal year 26, how will you ensure continued compliance with TSA's national security mandate at airports that cannot afford to subsidize federal security operations on their own? Thank you, ranking member for that question.
▶ 0:17:21Um with uh with regard to smaller airports and general aviation airports, we are working closely with stakeholders um and have recently issued a set of security guidelines for them to meet in the July time frame. We've been in constant communication with them uh over the uh weeks and months leading into this deadline and um working closely to make sure that they institute the security standards to um combat the evolving threat.
▶ 0:17:47um you know, as it pertains to uh our staffing model, the reduction in the TSO workforce in the skinny budget represents um between three and 4% um of the workforce. Half of that uh is designated for exit lanes. We have always been of the opinion that having a highly trained TSO man an exit lane sit at an exit lane is not the best use of their skills. They would be better to be redeployed to the security checkpoint.
▶ 0:18:13And as such, we would look to working with this committee to find um alternative ways of addressing the requirements of of exit lanes. The remainder of the cut represents about 2% of the TSO workforce uh spread across 435 airports. That that is a a number that we feel we can manage and we are very well prepared for the upcoming summer travel season. Thank you. Airport security is only as good as your weakest link.
▶ 0:18:36As we all know too well from 911, bad actors do not have to get through screening at JFK or O'Hare to attack New York or Chicago. They can enter through a poorly secured airport in a rural area or US territory and then fly to a major population center with little to no additional screening. Your testimony notes that you do not plan to deploy baggage screening CT machines at all commercial airports until 2043.
▶ 0:18:58What actions is TSA currently taking with fiscal year 2025 funding and in the 2026 budget to budget requests to ensure airports in these regions are not left exposed to ongoing national security So for the 2025 uh reconciliation uh that is with Congress right now I am not aware of no no 2025 funding we did a CR so you all have 2025 funding. Yes. Um so we are deploying what was funded in the 2025 budget.
▶ 0:19:26uh for 2026, I look forward to the president's full budget coming out and we can work with this committee to ensure um and see how we can accelerate the deployment of CT technology. Um as you note, the current uh forecast is full operating capability by 2043. Um again, would love to work with this committee to see if we can shift that to the left. Now, turning to the workforce itself, TSA's frontline workforce, transportation security officers are still excluded from the full rights and protections afforded under title 5 of the US code.
▶ 0:19:55And yet, the president's recent executive order on labor management relations conveniently excludes TSA's workforce while protecting other federal unions that endorsed his candidacy. Can you explain to the subcommittee why this administration believes that TSOs should be excluded from basic federal labor protections while other politically aligned unions are not? Uh the the TSO, the collective bargaining um agreement for the TSO falls outside of the scope of Title 5 as you noted.
▶ 0:20:22Um, you know what what the recision of the CBA did was really return our focus to the mission of the agency which is aviation security. Return the manh hours of over 200 TSOs to uh delivering security for the traveling public and it also has uh allowed the frontline management more flexibility to ensure that they're delivering security for the American people. Okay. Thank you.
▶ 0:20:45As I said in my opening, TSA's press release announcing this decision provided no details and TSA has only said that time is needed to figure out if this was a good idea and that TSA is exploring what data sets are available that may help inform this issue. These should have been clearly defined well ahead of making such a big decision. The safety of the American people demands that our transportation security infrastructure, including our workforce, be robust, resilient, and uniform across all facilities large and small.
▶ 0:21:13I appreciate you coming to testify today, but the fact remains that we need more information and consistent, detailed communication with you and your team to write a bill that meets the growing needs of your agency. I look forward to working with you to do so. And I yield back. Thank you, Mr. New House. The floor is yours. Mr. Chairman, thank you to ACT administrator to be being here with us today. Excuse me. Um, looking at the recently released skinny budget, if I could get you to comment a little bit on that.
▶ 0:21:43It reduces the transportation uh security officer levels consistent with the president's goal to re reduce wasteful government spending and abuse of government programs. So, I don't want to put you in a position of um contradicting the entire budget.
▶ 0:21:59However, could you elaborate on how reducing the budget line for screening officers align with a traveler security experience that is less intrusive while at the same time maintaining the high standard of standard of security at American that Americans expect? Um certainly. So, um thank you for that question, Congressman. uh the uh I look forward to discussing the details of the president's budget when the details the full the full budget is released.
▶ 0:22:29But um my understanding is that it is striking a balance um between uh a labor workforce and investment in technology which will yield a more seamless passenger experience once the balance is struck. Uh we need to uh you know continually evolve to meet the emerging threats uh to aviation and transportation security. That's not something that's going to be solved by labor alone and human talent alone. It's going to be the right combination of talent and technology. Good. Fair enough. So, Mr.
▶ 0:22:58Chairman, I've been waiting for the opportunity to bring this next thing up. My my district is home to the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and where you probably know this already, researchers pioneered the use of the millimeter wave technology for passenger screening, thus creating what we like to refer to as the PNL PNNL salute, which everybody knows. It's this we're all familiar with that at that we use at screening checkpoints around the country.
▶ 0:23:27In your testimony, uh, madame administrator, you note that the investments in technology will pay multiple dividends in the outy years as TSA works to reposition the nation as the number one global travel destination and I agree with that. So, two questions about that.
▶ 0:23:45Does TSA have sufficient resources and authorities needed to develop or collaborate on the development and of technologies so that TSA can leverage techn technological advances at the pace of innovation? And if not, uh could you elaborate on the resources andor the authorities that may be needed for TSA to fulfill its its mission and now and into the future? Thank you.
▶ 0:24:12Um this is an area where we would look forward to working with this committee to see what can be done in terms of capital investment uh for technology to ensure that TSA has the tools and the frontline workforce has the tools that they need uh to enhance transportation security. I mentioned the CAT and the CT programs earlier.
▶ 0:24:30In addition to that, we would look to develop um an IT infrastructure that connects the equipment at our airports to really yield efficiencies um and and heightened security uh and allow us to do things like field um kind of cutting edge innovations around algorithms and threat detection as well as uh remote screening whereby uh we can connect all the equipment and and really make the best use of our our TSO Okay. Thank you very much for again for being here with us and Mr. Chairman. and I yel back.
▶ 0:25:02The gentleman from Laredo, the floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, ranking member and acting administrator. Thank you for what you do and what your men and women do. A couple questions. Um, in in light of the uh pay adjustment that we did, um, how's that working with TSA and recruitment and retaining personnel to make sure that we ensure uh, safety and security at airports? Question number one.
▶ 0:25:27Question number two, uh what is TSA doing to ensure that smaller airports like my hometown of Laredo, Texas are also being prioritized in the modernization of new technology because I get to talk to them every week coming and going and sometimes they feel that the smaller communities are left behind uh on that.
▶ 0:25:49And then finally, the last question has to do with something that I brought up to you when we met was in the past I've asked prior administrators if you have any uh technology uh equipment you're not going to use uh maybe use that surplus to small rural uh county jails, sheriffs that might use that technology. And they did look at that.
▶ 0:26:13But the problem is is those long-term contracts that they said we'll take the um the technology but we don't want to take this contract that is just a small community couldn't handle. So those three questions and again thank you and good seeing you again. Thank you Congressman. So the first question about pay and retention um as compared to two years ago we've seen significant um uh improvements in in the retention rate of our frontline workforce.
▶ 0:26:41and that is um ascribed to the the pay increase that we were uh that you all were able to to provide and that I know the TSOs are thankful for um every day. We do hear such positive feedback and so we thank you for for that. Um uh on on small airports and and um I think there's a few things that we are doing there.
▶ 0:27:04I mean when we look at uh the deployment of CTS and uh CAT machines for example they're not all at you know our largest airports we do try to um take a look at at the the full landscape but some of the things that we are doing working closely with our stakeholders is to find creative ways where public private partnerships can drive the quicker deployment of technology um across our airport system.
▶ 0:27:27And then third uh thirdly on that uh you know we would look forward to working closely with you to see if we can reach full operating capability for those programs um faster than you know in the next uh two decades. So uh and then lastly on surplus appreciate your question on that. Obviously we do have technology that um you know is getting replaced and uh in conversations with state and localities that might need it.
▶ 0:27:52uh what we've been doing is is trying to assess what the full scope of responsibility is for taking over such equipment, what the maintenance and support might look like and really provide them as much information as possible so that they can plan it into their budget cycles. Um but again, I think it's something that we're refreshing all the time looking at the list of potential surplus and happy to continue to work with the communities on that. Yeah, if you can work on that because again that surplus equipment is good, but it's that maintenance contract that just gets it out of hand.
▶ 0:28:21But I know that, you know, my friend Tony Gonzalez over there, West Texas Sheriff, South Texas Sheriff's, uh, El Paso and other areas, they could use some of that equipment, but it's that long-term uh, maintenance that just puts it out of hand. So, if you can come up with a solution, that'd be good. With that, I say thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Miss Henson, the floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, acting administrator McNeel, for coming before our committee today.
▶ 0:28:46Um, I'm excited about the new, uh, golden age of US travel that we're experiencing, especially as someone who flies literally every week like everybody up here on the DIS. So, um, under the Biden administration and Secretary Mayor Orcus, though, we did see the federal air marshals, whose mission it is to be up there in the skies, pulled from many of those flights and then pulled to process paperwork at the southern border. I think it was a reckless decision. It got rid of a critical layer of aviation security, but it also left American travelers more vulnerable um at at heightened times.
▶ 0:29:15So, can you speak to how the Trump administration is reversing course on those policies um and how vital the Federal Air Marshall Service is to preventing those threats and keeping our skies secure? Thank you. Um so, the Federal Air Marshals are a critical uh enforcement law enforcement component of of TSA. uh they keep our skies safe every day through their critical uh mission flights um and also their their surface operations.
▶ 0:29:40Um this is going to be even more and more important as we embark on uh big undertakings like welcoming the world in for the World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028. Um it is one team, one fight. So we do collaborate very closely with our law enforcement partners across the Department of Homeland Security and ensure that we're there to surge if if um you know if needed. But at this moment in time, um, you know, that is not a need that we've seen.
▶ 0:30:05Um, we stand ready and in, um, without kind of, uh, you know, impacting our ability to conduct our aviation security mission. Well, I'm certainly glad to see them return to the mission they are supposed to be doing. Um, I also want to discuss how your agency's skinny budget request notes its intention to uh, reduce the total number of TSA officers in line with the president's directive to cut wasteful government spending.
▶ 0:30:28Following up on my colleague's question, are there some specific technologies that in particular once this is um once this is in motion and once those technologies that they could be deployed to help uh make a um a better customer experience? Um so the the computed tomography and and CAT machines are kind of the the baseline technology that really uh will enable us to deploy more innovative ways of driving efficiency.
▶ 0:30:52So for example, the credential authentication technology is an identity verification um uh technology at the checkpoint. And if you combine that for example with egates, which is something that our stakeholders have expressed a lot of interest in working together on then that might help alleviate some of the TSO headcount at the checkpoint and drive efficiencies that way.
▶ 0:31:13with the computed tomography machine, you could um envision a day where we're driving algorithms that help with um threat detection more effectively, more accurately um and and where the TSOs are looking at images at alarm only and not, you know, need to look at every image that comes through. That would significantly uh help with with throughput and and capacity at the checkpoints. Awesome. Well, again, thank you to your amazing team at the Eastern Iowa airport where I fly out of every every week and I appreciate all the work you're doing. Thanks for coming before the committee. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 0:31:44Uh they've called votes on the floor. I'm going to call on Miss Escobar for her questions and then if uh if the two Republican members want to stay to ask questions uh then I will remain to preside over it until then. If you don't then we'll submit your questions as written ones. But and and by the way, I don't plan to come back. I plan to adjourn the hearing when I leave. So the floor is yours, Miss Escobar. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Madame Ranking Member. Acting Administrator McNeel, thank you for being here and thank you for your service to our nation.
▶ 0:32:14I I I'm think I'm not overstating the concern uh that millions of Americans are um really frightened of flying right now with all of the news and and with some of the recent events. and I understand where they're coming from and and I will tell you the deep cuts in the skinny budget and the impact that Doge has made on our federal agencies and federal workforce certainly um none of that helps.
▶ 0:32:43And so I'm hoping that you will help us understand a little bit more about some of these decisions. One um one of the things that that constituents of mine and um TSA employees have mentioned is the concern about the potential privatization of TSA. It was mentioned in project 2025. We've seen this administration essentially use project 2025 as a roadmap for many of their decisions.
▶ 0:33:12Um, and the TSA workforce is really important to our safety and security and the idea that that they could be privatized obviously is an area of concern for them. Do you believe that TSA should be privatized?
▶ 0:33:29So privatization has always been a part of the TSA construct since its inception under the screening partnership uh Um as a regulator though TSA is responsible for ensuring the highest level of uh delivery at our transportation checkpoints whether that screening is being performed by federal employees or by a privatized screening workforce. So that is part of our remit and our responsibility that we carry out day in and day out.
▶ 0:33:56Um, as we look to modernize TSA, um, I would say, you know, stakeholders have, uh, have a a word in this this committee and and this Congress, and we look forward to working with them. Nothing is off the table. I think again, the northstar for us at TSA is making sure that we are driving the uh, highest level of security, the best passenger experience in the most efficient way possible.
▶ 0:34:18And so if uh new privatization schemes um make sense then we're happy to have that discussion to see um you know what we can what we can come up with. Um it's not an all or nothing game. There could be airports uh that choose to privatize and others that do not. I think that airport choice is is really important as part of this as well. I definitely would call it a scheme as well. Um I hope that privatization is not a part of the administration's efforts.
▶ 0:34:44our very loyal, hardworking TSA agents are really or officers rather are really concerned about this. Um, I hear about it all the time. The other thing that I hear about from them is the the illegal ending of their collective bargaining agreement. And the ranking member asked you a question. You you didn't really quite answer it.
▶ 0:35:08Um, but I I want to follow up on this issue of uh the termination of of the labor protections that that they negotiated. Um, in TSA's press release, and the ranking member mentioned this in her opening, TSA's press release announced this decision and provided no details. TSA has only said that time is needed to figure out if this was a good idea and that TSA is exploring what data sets are available that may help inform this issue.
▶ 0:35:38Um these should have been clearly defined well ahead of making such a big decision. So can you tell us now what are the specific metrics that TSA used in making this decision? So the recision of the CBA was made with security in mind uh in terms of returning hours to the security checkpoint and um uh not union work. So uh that was over 200 FTE hours returned to the security checkpoint.
▶ 0:36:08It allows for flexibility in management to ensure that the workforce is delivering the highest level of security to the American traveling public. we have seen an improvement in callout numbers. So that means that our uh you know employees are are there carrying out their mission day in and day out.
▶ 0:36:27Um um yeah, I've heard from TSOs that they consider um the uh under TSA uh and it is estimated that up as up upwards of a hund00 million could potentially be saved if we could uh either automate that or if we could turn that responsibility over to other uh agencies, airport police, things of that nature.
▶ 0:36:53So I want to uh thank you for looking at ways in which you can make uh the current manpower u make them more efficient uh and to carry out their core mission uh which is to protect the safety of the traveling public.
▶ 0:37:08Uh I also know uh that uh many years ago Congress decided that we were going to take a portion of the aviation passenger security fee uh that is collected by TSA uh that Congress originally intended to help stand up TSA uh to help fund your agency to help purchase the technology that you need. We know that there is a minimal amount that is attached to uh each uh trip.
▶ 0:37:33I think it's $5.60 uh per per per per passenger per trip. Uh and that money was originally designed to go back uh into TSA's budget. Uh also know that there has been um delays if you will in rolling out some of the checkpoint screening technology and many of those been delays have been attributed to funding uh that um TSA has asked for funding uh uh for that technology
▶ 0:38:04and that that funding has either been denied or that funding has then be used been used in other areas. And so my question briefly is uh if we were to give TSA the entirety of that security fee uh which um I believe if I'm not mistaken was $4.5 billion last year it says here that in FY26 we expect the diversion to be roughly 1.6.
▶ 0:38:30Uh with that additional $1.6 6 billion if it was not diverted into the federal treasury. Could that um money be used for security screening? Could it be used for additional personnel, pay raise, things of that nature, uh which would then lessen the burden on what you have to ask for Congress every year? Um certainly.
▶ 0:38:52So, uh, you know, I think if if we had the appropriate resources, um, we could field some of the technology programs that we're currently fielding at a much quicker pace and probably within, um, have full operating capability within this administration. Um, and then beyond that, there are other uh, technological improvements that we uh, would be looking to make to really enhance efficiencies.
▶ 0:39:15And then obviously, you know, combining that with the workforce is is what I think really provides uh the golden age of travel for the American public. Uh thank you and thank you for your service. And with that, I yield back. administrator. Thank you for your testimony today.