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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Scott Perry’s legislation aimed at instituting accountability and oversight for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has cleared a legislative hurdle and will advance out of the Homeland Security Committee following a vote this afternoon. The proposal was introduced in response to the egregious security breaches at John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport in New York in February.
   
Perry’s bill, the “Strengthening Oversight of TSA Employee Misconduct Act,” will ensure consistency and accountability throughout the TSA by requiring a senior official to oversee the review of disciplinary actions in response to misconduct by TSA agents and supervisors. The reviews will be administered at random to ensure quality control. Under the current system, disciplinary actions against errant employees may vary wildly depending on the local supervisor, which allows for gross misconduct to be overlooked.
   
“Keeping Americans safe on U.S. soil, especially at our airports, has been one of my top priorities,” said Perry. “After continued mismanagement, we must hold  our security officials accountable to the American public and keep bureaucracy in check.”
   
The bill also requires the TSA to review spot inspection results to identify root causes of systemic employee misconduct, and correct those problems so that good employees may focus on the mission and bad employees are removed. In February 2017, the TSA allowed roughly 13 people to pass through an unguarded security checkpoint at New York’s JFK Airport. In addition, the TSA failed to contact local police to address the situation, instead attempting to cover up the breach quietly.
 
The bill now goes to the full House for a vote.