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Release Date: 08/16/04 00:00:00
Under Secretary Asa Hutchinson
Washington, DC
August 16, 2004
(Remarks as Prepared)
Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts over the past year-and-a-half to enhance the security of our transportation system while honoring the freedoms, values, and commerce that are essential to our economy and our way of life.
I believe our efforts in this area have been and will continue to be consistent with the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission.
I would like to thank Chairman Kean, Vice Chairman Hamilton and the other members for their invaluable service to our country and for the recommendations in their final report.
As the Commission has recognized, “[t]he U.S. transportation system is vast and, in an open society, impossible to secure completely against terrorist attacks.”
Despite that inherent challenge, we continue to make progress every day, and we are confident that we can significantly protect the transportation system by continuing to evaluate vulnerabilities, prioritize risks and focus resources accordingly, and implement layers of security across the modes.
Today I would like focus on some of the steps we have taken to address key recommendations of the Commission and our plan for the future.
The Commission recommended that the U.S. government identify and evaluate the transportation assets that need to be protected, set risk-based priorities for defending them, select the most practical and cost-effective ways of doing so, and then develop a plan, budget, and funding to implement the effort.
The Transportation Security Administration has lead responsibility for coordinating the development of the transportation sector plan as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7.
This plan is fully integrated and coordinated with all of the sector plans and should be completed this year.
It delineates roles and responsibilities among transportation stakeholders and provides a “roadmap” for identifying critical infrastructure and key resources, assessing vulnerabilities, prioritizing assets, and implementing protection measures.
TSA is developing a comprehensive prioritized list of critical assets and vulnerabilities for transportation that will form the basis for allocating resources in a risk-based and cost-effective way, as recommended by the Commission.
The Commission also recommended improved use of “no fly” and “automatic selectee” lists, and we have made good progress in this area. Prior to 9/11, there were fewer than 100 names on the “no fly” list. Today, TSA provides carriers with “no fly” and “selectee” lists which have been dramatically expanded.
This is a significant burden for air carriers and we appreciate their efforts to use these lists. We will work to transition the lists to the U. S. Government, which will allow us to further expand the lists to include information not previously included for security reasons.
The Commission recommended that “[t]he TSA and the Congress give priority attention to improving the ability of screening checkpoints to detect explosives on passengers.”
Further, the TSA should, “conduct a human factors study… to understand problems in screener performance and set attainable objectives for individual screeners and for the checkpoints where screening takes place”.
TSA is evaluating explosives trace detection portals and document scanners. This technology will augment TSA’s current screening for explosives at passenger checkpoints and increase TSA’s ability to detect explosives that might be carried on an individual, rather than within a bag.
Screener performance is critical for the quality of security we provide. TSA completed a comprehensive Passenger Screener Performance Improvement Study, focused on human factors and Human Performance Technology.
The findings of this study were used to implement a Short-Term Screening Performance Improvement Plan that has already resulted in a substantial improvement in screener performance.
The Commission also raised concern regarding the screening and transport of checked bags and cargo, and recommended that TSA intensify efforts to screen potentially dangerous cargo in both the aviation and maritime sectors.
TSA has made steady progress in both areas by increasing the number and capability of the explosives detectors in place at our airports and seaports.
We continue to focus on strengthening air cargo security. In December, Secretary Ridge approved TSA’s comprehensive air cargo security Strategic Plan, which will serve as the roadmap for TSA’s efforts to improve the security in the air cargo shipping arena for the next 3 to 5 years.
TSA has deployed nearly 400 Aviation Security Inspectors, including 100 all-cargo inspectors brought on in FY 2004, to improve its air cargo compliance rates.
These are just some of the Department’s efforts, which I believe address many of the 9-11 Commission Report’s concerns.
We recognize that much work remains. I would like to thank this Committee for its support as we continue to enhance the security of our transportation system and our country.
This page was last reviewed/modified on 08/16/04 00:00:00.