I wrote a pissy email to Senator Johnny Isakson about the harassment of Americans perpetrated by the TSA and I actually got a response. I don’t think it’s a form letter, but you never know with politicians. I like this response, however I doubt there’s little to be done about the TSA. Once they are unionized, they will NEVER go away and their power will only increase. Nonetheless, I like the response so here it is, complete with header:
Dear Ms. Pratt:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) security procedures. I appreciate hearing from you and appreciate the opportunity to respond.
I fly between my home in Georgia and Washington nearly every week. Having seen and experienced firsthand the new TSA procedures, I share the very strong concerns of my constituents. Specifically, I have concerns with the image produced by the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines and with the intimate nature of the physical screening.
At a recent hearing at the Senate Commerce Committee, I questioned TSA Administrator John Pistole on TSA’s policies. I asked for TSA to come back to the Commerce Committee in a classified setting and share with the committee specific intelligence they have gotten that prompted TSA to impose these radical changes to airport screenings. I believe that seeing this intelligence is important for the committee to appropriately conduct its oversight role and determine if the TSA is acting in the most appropriate manner. I am pleased that TSA has agreed to this request.
During this hearing I expressed concern with the intrusive nature of the pat downs and plan to work with my colleagues to review that process and make changes if possible. I also expressed my concern with the scanner images themselves, and asked what progress TSA has made in moving to the automated target recognition feature that eliminate the viewing room and instead use a cartoon stick figure on the machine itself, visible to the passenger. Administrator Pistole said they are in the process of testing that technology and hope to roll out it out in airports in a matter of months. I also admonished the TSA for not implementing a system to provide expedited access to sterile areas for flight crews, also known as CrewPASS. I was pleased that, shortly after my line of questioning at the hearing, TSA announced it was moving forward with CrewPASS. I expressed my concern that the Department of Homeland Security and TSA have not done a good enough job of explaining the meaning and intent of its aviation security regulations and policies to the traveling public, or to its field representatives who are charged with enforcing them. I believe that TSA consistently fails to communicate these changes, especially when doing so could speed up the process and give travelers an idea of what to expect. I also asked for, and received, clarification that children under the age of 12 are not subject to pat downs. As a grandfather of nine, most of whom are under the age of 6, I was disappointed to see that TSA then reversed course on that policy, and that children under the age of 12 are now subjected to a modified pat down. I am working with my colleagues to address this issue.
I recognize that security is a balancing act, and that we must balance the free flow of commerce and freedom of movement with security in the post 9/11 world. I was disappointed that Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Napolitano said that “if people want to travel by some other means” they have that right, and when she implied that air travel is not a right. I do not think her comments reflect an understanding of the necessity of air travel and its importance to our nation’s economy.
I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure the TSA implements appropriate passenger screening that manages risk to the specific threats and uses intelligence information to apply greater scrutiny to those who need it, not using a one-size-fits-all approach to security and screening everybody the same way.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please visit my webpage at http://isakson.senate.gov/ for more information on the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator