Chairwoman Roybal-Allard Statement at Hearing on FY 2020 TSA Budget Request

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Chair of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the fiscal year 2020 budget request for the Transportation Security Administration:

Administrator Pekoske, I want to welcome you to your first hearing before this subcommittee. We are pleased to have you testifying before us today.

Members of the public likely interact with the TSA and its employees more than any other component of the Department of Homeland Security.  While air travelers do not always express their gratitude during that process, we do appreciate what the TSA and its employees do to protect our nation.

During the partial government shutdown earlier this year, TSA personnel worked without pay – which was a burden for Transportation Security Officers, in particular, because they earn much less than other civil servants.   TSA workers overcame great personal hardships to continue carrying out their duties; there were even reports of personnel sleeping in their cars because they could not afford the costs of commuting to work. 

I hope you will convey our continued support and appreciation for your workforce. I know that you share our concerns and have been an advocate for them.

After making significant new investments in your workforce and to equip it with advanced security technologies in the bill for fiscal year 2019, I was disappointed to see that the president’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposes a cut to TSA’s funding.

Many of the cuts are repeats from the past two years based on the elimination of activities that the Congress has repeatedly voted to continue: the Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams; the Law Enforcement Officer reimbursement program; and TSA staffing at exit lanes.

There is also a disconcerting mismatch between the budget and the expected growth in travelers, and once again the budget relies on a proposal to increase the passenger security fee, which is outside of the jurisdiction of this committee and is unlikely to be enacted.

Mr. Administrator, I know the budget request reflects the funding limitations you are forced to live under, but it will be difficult to fill in the funding holes the budget creates.  We look forward to hearing more about the budget request for FY 2020 and whether it would provide the resources you need to support your critical missions.

Thank you again for joining us, and I look forward to our discussion.