Testimony

Alexis M. Stefani, Assistant Inspector General for Auditing, testified during a hearing of the House Committee on Government Reform in Atlanta, GA, regarding TSA’s progress in implementing the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. Key points of her testimony were:

• TSA estimates it needs up to 33,000 screeners and screener supervisors to meet the November 19 deadline for a federalized work force.
  
• As of July 31, TSA had only about 4,000 passenger screeners on board, with another 6,800 who had accepted employment offers.
  
• The next 30 days will be crucial in determining if TSA will meet the November 19 deadline. TSA needs to hire and train more than 8,000 passenger screeners a month to meet the goal; this does not include the estimated 21,600 checked baggage screeners who will be needed.
  
• TSA is having the most difficulty hiring screeners in large metropolitan areas such as New York, Boston, and Chicago.
  
• The number of explosives detection system devices needed to meet the December 31 goal of screening 100 percent of checked baggage is at least 3 times the amount of equipment deployed worldwide.