Good morning. Welcome. Subcommittee on maritime and transportation security, now come to order. Id like to welcome dan bishop of North Carolina to the committee. Welcome. Thank you, mister chairman. Look forward to working with you. The subcommittee is meeting to receive testimony on, one year later, the implementation of the modernization act. Without objection, the chairs authorize to declare the subcommittee in recess at any point. I want to thank you, Ranking Member glasgow and our distinguished witness for joining us today. One year ago this month, congress enacted the First Comprehensive reauthorization, known as the tsa modernization act. The act incorporated substantial numbers of bills, and provisions that originated in this committee. This is a testament to the bipartisan efforts to conduct oversight of tsa. I thank my colleagues, miss Watson Coleman and the tsa modernization act improves our nations transportation security. Its a government to describe now, but id like to highlight a few key point. It established a fiveyear term for this tsa administrator to provide stability, to the agencys leadership. And, sadly, the current chaos and leadership vacancies within have undermined those efforts. Administrator, has been forced to wear two hats. Acting as dhs deputy secretary, and transportation administrator. I commend him for answering the call of duty, but the role of tsa administrator is a fulltime job that requires fulltime dedication to securing our transportation system. I hope the president will nominate perpetrators to fill many of the dhs vacancies, and does provide tsa with a stable leadership that congress envisioned but it passed this legislation. In addition to establishing the administrators term, the tsa modernization first pushes tsa to enhance its Strategic Planning efforts, number two, to secure public areas of airport aspirations systems, and improves the security of air cargo transportation. But we appreciate tsas dedication to implementing the many directives and reporting requirements in this legislation, as well as tsas transparency in updating the committee on its progress. Although tsa has made significant progress on implementing the act, i am still concerned that tsa has not yet complied with the provisions that presents some of the biggest priorities of the act. First, tsa is late in providing this committee a report and recommendation to perform its Personnel Management system. And, as you, know this subcommittee recently highlighted issues facing the tsa workforce at its hearing in may. Transportation Security Officers served on the front lines and carry our nations transportation system, yet are among the lowest paid workers in the federal government. Theyre also not afforded some of the basic workplace employees enjoy. A professional National Security agency, and i look forward to hearing more about the status of this important report. I will ask at this point, unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from the american federalists but of government employees. Second, tsa is late and providing a strategy that was due in february regarding plans to open procurement process for Wider Networks of technology companies, including participation of Small Businesses. Tsa relies on the small number of vendors to provide the screening technologies in use worldwide. Small businesses in particular face difficulties in competing for tsa awards, due to limited procurement cycles, and lengthy testing and evaluations processes. I look forward to hearing what steps tsa is taking to ensure these processes are open and fair to all. And, finally, tsa is overdue in providing an assessment and potential enhancements to surface transportation security. As you know they are pretty livable to terrorist attacks, and its important that he has a prioritize completion of these requirements. Tsa must work to come into full compliance with the requirements that the tsa modernization act as soon as possible. Once again, id like to thank the tsa and the g8 so from being here today and i look forward to a conversation. With that, id like to turn this conversation over to the Ranking Member debbie lesko for an Opening Statement. Thank you. Id like to welcome representative dan bishop from North Carolina, welcome. This is a great committee. You will enjoy it. Its very important. I would like to think the witnesses for being here, and the tsa officers and other employees that are here for tsa, the subcommittees meeting to oversee implementation of last years bipartisan reauthorization of the transportation act. Terrorists continue to target both service and Aviation Transportation in ways that are constantly evolving. The tsa monetization act recognizes this reality and provides direction to the agency at a critical time. Unfortunately, this legislation marks the first ever reauthorization of tsa since the agency was created. In so doing, Congress Fulfilled its ability to provide oversight, to protect the traveling public. The tsa modernization act took measurable steps to update many officers and programs within tsa, and make the agency more prepared for current and evolving threats to transportation security. Some of these provisions included the establishment of a fiveyear term for the tsa administrator, authorizing the use of thirdparty explosive detection canines for passenger and cargo screening, providing Additional Resources and support to the federal flight deck program. An outlining new enrollment objectives for tsa precheck. Now, a little less than enactment, its prudent for our subcommittee to echo the bipartisanship that facilitated the passage of this landmark legislation as we examine how effectively tsa has worked to implement the law. I commend administrator David Pekoske who is serving doubly as the acting director, acting deputy secretary of the department of homeland security, for working closely with congress on this legislation last year, and for his teams dedication to providing regular briefings to the relevant committees and the implementation status. This work, along with congressional oversight, has resulted in 87 of the laws required actions for tsa being either successfully completed or on track for successful completion in a timely manner. For many of these provisions, g. I. A. Served as the committees watchdog on implementation and its review of tsa programs, officers, and mitigation efforts. Im pleased that they are represented here today as well. I look forward to hearing from tsa on the status of outstanding provisions in the law, as well as what the agency has accomplished over the last year, in fulfilling its statutory requirements. Thank you, and i yield back the balance of my time. Other members are reminded that Opening Statement maybe savannah for the record. Id like to open the panelists patricia cogswell, she held several leadership positions within the u. S. Immigration and customs enforcement, and dhs, including as acting under secretary for dhs intelligence and analysis. Our next witness, mr. William rajpal is a director of the justice, team where he is responsible for leading ngos work on aviation and service but. He is over 17 years of experience and was previously assistant director in the contracting and National Security acquisitions. Without objections, the witnesses full statement will be inserted into the record, and now i ask each witnesses to summarize their statements for five minutes, beginning with this patricia cogswell. Welcome. Good morning to members of this committee. On behalf of tsas employees id like to express our appreciation for the continued support of congress, and the productive relationship we have with the subcommittee and the Government Accountability office, as well as the authorities provided by the tsa modernization act to 2016. Implementing the tsa modernization act is a priority for tsa, and im grateful for the invitation to testify about our. Efforts since its creation following the september 11th attacks, it is his commitment to ensuring Public Security has enabled people to travel securely. Transportation systems remain highly valued targets for terrorists and their methods of attacks are more decentralize and opportunistic than ever. Tsa must make the chance of a consulate involving threat environment, at both the cyber and physical realms. And meeting the challenge, their most important asset is our people. Im very proud of the 63,000 dedicated professionals who make up our workforce, and every day demonstrate our core values of intel integrity, respect, and commitment. Together, the efforts of our workforce secures and facilitates transportation for an average of 85 million passengers, 2. 5 six billion in cargo, and critical transportation infrastructure around the country. Earlier this year, a significant portion of our workforce went without pay for 35 days during the partial government shutdown. Despite suffering financial and personal hardships, they demonstrated to professionalism and commitment to the transportation security mission. We are grateful to congress for continuing to explore ways to prevent this from happening again, and stand ready to help you in achieving this goal. 2018 was a very important year for tsa, and its direction. Not only did we release our strategy, highlighting our duties and priorities and improving security and safeguarding the transportation security but, exhilarating as, john and committing to our people. But it became law. The first reauthorization of our agency. 2019 has been the implementation. Weve conveyed, the progress meeting with the subcommittee staff, that as of today, tsa has implemented more than 60 of the hundred 80 requirements mandated by the act but. Conducting a Global Security review, and initiating a Pilot Program to test air cargo. I definitely, and limit the use, and showing the feasibility for tsa use of project only lanes, as well as the future line experience model, where non protect passengers designated as laura risk would receive alternative screening procedures. But continuing to evaluate, risk and assessing Technology Policy and procedures to address that risk is critical to our emissions execution. Recent examples of where we have done so consistent include updating the federal air marshal their Prioritize Mission and revise International Risk assessment models, as well as implementing changes to address insider risk, including establishing an Aviation Committee on inside a threat to assess ways to improve airport worker controls. Building on this critical work, tsa plans to produce a roadmap for mitigating inside a risk in all modes of transportation. Tsa also recognizes our strategic success depends on our workforce. The tsa commissioned a Blue Ribbon Panel to review tsas capital processes, and we established our National Adviser and council, which is provides of advisers from our uniformed workforce. The recommendations from these groups and others, tsa developed a number of workforce initiatives that we are implementing, such as our to tear performance system, and there are two years so career progression. Members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to testify before you today. Tsa is grateful for the authorities provided to them modernization act, and is committed to implementing them as quickly as possible. I look forward to your questions. Thank you, mrs. Cogswell. And id like to recognize mr. William russell, for his statements. Sir . Good morning, members of the subcommittee. Im pleased to discuss the tsa modernization act. The act included provisions to include the Aviation Security screening technologies, oversight a passenger screening processes. The act, also included a number of provisions burgeo to review tsa is progress. The statement criticizes patchwork an observations of our ongoing work in assessing takes action for select areas. Overall this shows the tsa has made progress consistent with provisions with the act, we can improve and a number of areas. First, in terms of international Aviation Security, tsa took steps to strengthen assessments for an airport operators. Since our december 2017 report, tsa further enhanced its for the to be effectively mitigated. It included a provision to review security directors for airports and Foreign Countries that offer vast points of departure towards the u. S. Tsa may offer new directives for emergency carriers but threatened formation our vulnerabilities at foreign airports indicate an immediate need for air carriers to implement additional security measures. In our view of this process, we found that tsa did not fully define how to coordinate with industry representatives, which can lead to some difficulties but. Tsa had not determined whether to cancel or incorporate longstanding security directives into air carrier security programs, in full accordance with tsa policy. Amid several recommendations to address these, issues and tsa concurred with them. The tsa modernization act also related to oversight a passenger screening. Rules tsa develops screening rules by considering intelligence another fascists do and higher. Tsa according to school reviews three quarterly meetings and notifies an expanded set of dhs and tsa stakeholders of changes as called for under the act. We also found that, while tsa track some data related to rule implementation, it is not comprehensively measure rule effectiveness, we recommended that tsa explore Additional Data sources to better administer the structure of these rules. In terms of screening technologies, we review the process used by tsa to deploy those technologies to airports, and in our forthcoming report we found that tsa considers risks in its deployment decisions but has not documented them. Importantly, we found that after screening technologies have been deployed to airports, tsa does not fully ensure that these technologies continued to meet detection requirements but, even the performance of that technology can degrade over time. I made several recommendations to address these issues, and tsa is revealing them. But are the act, we also reviewed tsa pipeline security efforts. We found that tsas management of its pipeline security can be improved, although coordination with pipeline operators , for example, tsa needs to better evaluate the staff, and to include a strategic workforce plan that can help effectively it into fight the skills and competencies, such as cybersecurity expertise, necessary to carry out responsibilities. Tsa concurred with those recommendations to address the issues. In conclusion, tsa has taken an important step to improve security and response modernization act. But additional actions will be needed going forward. We will continue to review tsa progress to implement these remaining parts of the act. This concludes my remarks, and i look forward to your actions. You have one minute left. Thank you. I will remind each member that he or she will have five minutes to ask questions, and about like to recognize myself for the first set of questions. The first one is for possible. As you know, part of the tsa act, congress codified the fiveyear term, and the current administrator is wearing two hats, one as the administrator and the other is acting secretary. Given this dual role and duty, who was running the daytoday operations at tsa . Thank you very much for your question. As part of his retails ignition and position as the senior official performing the duties of the deputy secretary, he has authorized me to run most of the operations for tsa. I have a series of areas where i consult with him on a regular basis to ensure consistencies. I decided with issues are delegated to him versus you, and how is that affected the implementation of the act . The way we have been approaching this process, is through longstanding close collaboration. As you might suspect, i talked to a multiple times a week. A look for any issues that i believe are particular sensitive, or time consuming of nature, to ensure that there is no instance where he would be caught off guard. Given the concerns that we had, and im sure youre doing a great job. Do we need a stable leadership, should these vacancies be filled . It is incredibly important for tsa to half staple leadership over an extended period of time. I think it is one of the best parts of the act, creating that goal and that mindset. And the administrator shares that goal. I know he very much is a believer in this role and this position, and would very much like to be able to see at the remainder of his term. At the same time, we recognize the importance of continuity across the department of homeland security, and i can think of no one Better Qualified to be able to serve in the type of position and David Pekoske. All month security such a Critical Role in defending our citizens, not only here but around the world. We want to be of as much help as possible, to make sure youre able to implement your mission. Turning to another issue, which is workforce issues. The subcommittee has focused on issues of the workforce. It requires the tsa and summit to congress to, a working group as former has many productive discussions. Down to and including the extent of the period of time, because the discussions were so productive they had additional items they wanted to conclude. The working group concluded its deliberations at the end of august, and completed the drafting author port in september. The report is now in clearance. When will you expect that . I have will be in the matter of weeks. Thank you. The statute also says that the working group should consider reforms to the tsa, versus all management systems, including appeals to the system board and grievances procedures. Were those topics considered by the working gr