CONGRESSMAN REED CALLS WASTE OF $184 MILLION “ALL TOO TYPICAL” Waste at Transportation Security Administration is “sadly, no surprise”

Congressman Tom Reed is calling this Wednesday’s report that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has $184 million worth of screening machines depreciating in a Texas warehouse “all too typical of how the federal government mismanages taxpayer money.”  According to a report by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the TSA has mothballed 5700 pieces of security equipment because they either did not work, were not properly tested or are not needed.

“I have been in Congress just over a year and a half,” Reed commented. “In just that short period of time I have heard hours and hours of testimony and seen countless examples of how the gargantuan federal bureaucracy has no regard for the value of taxpayer dollars. Instead of that $184 million going toward keeping us safe at more than 400 U.S. airports, it’s wasted in a warehouse at an additional annual cost of $3.5 million.”  

Reed has consistently approached government operations from his experience building four small businesses. “Sadly, this is no surprise,” he said. “I am disturbed by the lack of basic accountability in federal government management. There is no incentive for cost-effective operation and there is no accountability.”

“This is real money taken from paychecks by Washington,” Reed said, adding that he would use his position on the Oversight Subcommittee of Ways and Means to demand and incentivize accountability. “We can do better and taxpayers have a right to be angry about this.”

Reed emphasized that his comments are not directed at the hard-working front line TSA personnel, but rather at TSA management. The mishandling is highlighted as part of Reed’s program to combat government waste through sunlight.  The program has highlighted more than $650 million of waste thus far.

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