Travel Tips
Why the Transportation Security Administration Has No Administrator
The attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 has led to a circus of finger-pointing, with several aimed squarely at the Transportation Security Administration.
This has shone a spotlight on the fact that the TSA is still without a permanent leader, even though President Obama nominated a candidate in September.
So what’s the holdup? Keep reading to learn more about the nominee and find out why the TSA is still operating without a head.
In September 2009, Obama nominated Erroll Southers, a former FBI special agent and counterterrorism expert, to lead the TSA. Southers has previously held the position of director of homeland security for the state of California and is currently a top law enforcement official for Los Angeles World Airports.
So why has a seemingly qualified candidate been collecting dust while the TSA has repeatedly come under fire for a lack of competent leadership? In a word: politics.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), last seen on PeterGreenberg.com trying to prevent the opening of the Capitol Visitor Center, has stalled the nomination (with what’s called a “hold” in Senate parlance) because of concerns that Southers will allow the TSA screeners to unionize.
Despite recent developments that others say are more germane to the job of the TSA Administrator, like trying to prevent the blowing up of a plane on Christmas Day, DeMint has doggedly maintained that the real risk is a potential TSA union.
As the ranking member on the aviation subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, DeMint’s dissent is not enough to keep Southers from eventually being approved, but it has delayed a vote on his nomination.
It’s actually been up to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to arrange a vote on the matter. But the Senate has been grappling with healthcare reform in recent months and Reid did not schedule a vote before the Senate recessed on Christmas Eve. Now it will be another three weeks until they’re back in session.
Learn more about airport security in our Travel Safety & Security section.
Until then, Gale Rossides will continue to serve as the Acting TSA Administrator. Even though having a permanent leader will help the sometimes bumbling organization, it is unlikely that Southers’ presence could have prevented the incident aboard Flight 253 on Christmas.
By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: Los Angeles Times, Yahoo! News, Washington Post
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