Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at TSA: Part II

TAKEAWAYS:

• High attrition rates at the agency are contributing to longer wait times and other operational challenges at airports around the country. In 2014, TSA lost 4,644 employees while only hiring 373 individuals.
• Administrator Neffenger acknowledged the need to improve discipline for misconduct within the agency.
• Senior TSA officials wasted millions of dollars on involuntary directed reassignments as a means of retaliating against whistleblowers and disfavored employees.
• Administrator Neffenger testified that previous directed reassignments were “not an appropriate use” of the practice. However, senior officials are not being held accountable for their role in issuing directed reassignments.
• Bonuses, awards, and other forms of compensations were granted to senior TSA officials despite mismanagement and poor results. Lack of accountability at a senior level damages morale agency wide.

PURPOSE:

• To examine systemic management and leadership challenges facing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the toll it takes on their workforce.
• To hear from TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG) John Roth on plans and actions to address the challenges.

BACKGROUND:

• As part of its ongoing investigation into TSA, the Committee previously requested documents from TSA related to executive misconduct, cash bonuses, and directed reassignments.
• In a hearing on April 27, the Committee heard from three current TSA employees who shared firsthand experiences related to retaliation, intimidation, and improper use of directed reassignments, both in the field and from TSA headquarters.
• In November 2015, the Committee questioned TSA Administrator Neffenger and DHS IG Roth at a hearing on potential security gaps within TSA. The hearing highlighted.

KEY VIDEOS:

Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): “Why not check TSA employees as they go in and out? Pilots are checked… why not check each person?… You have to keep security at the highest level.”

 Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ): “In your opinion was this [reassigning whistleblowers] an appropriate use of directed reassignment and if so, what’s your justification?”

Administrator Peter Neffenger: “In my opinion, it was not an appropriate use of directed reassignments and that’s why I changed the policy.”

 Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC): “That testimony is very troubling to me, because what I’m not going to tolerate is retaliation on whistleblowers and that’s what it looks like to me.”