FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2014  

Hudson Statement Regarding GAO Report on TSA’s Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Chairman of the Transportation Security Subcommittee, released the following statement in response to a report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) today recommending that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) not purchase next generation AIT machines (AIT-2) until it develops a realistic performance schedule and conducts better testing and data analysis, among other recommendations.

To view the full report, click here.

“Today’s GAO report is further evidence of the need for reform to TSA’s procurement process for technologies like AIT, and I am pleased that the Department of Homeland Security concurred with GAO’s recommendations. This is yet another example of TSA not conducting the proper due diligence and planning for a technology acquisition program.  Earlier this year, I introduced H.R. 2719, a bill that would address many of GAO's and industry’s recommendations by increasing transparency and accountability in the earliest steps of the acquisition process all the way through to the final procurement and deployment of equipment. The bill passed the House with unanimous bipartisan support.  I continue to work with my colleagues to advance this important legislation in the Senate and bring much-needed transparency and accountability to TSA’s spending decisions.”

The Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act introduces greater transparency and accountability for TSA spending decisions through a series of commonsense reforms.  Specifically, it requires TSA to:

• Develop and share with the public, for the first time, a strategic, multiyear technology investment plan,
• Share key information with Congress on technology acquisitions, including cost overruns, delays, or technical failures within 30 days of identifying the problem,
• Establish principles for managing equipment in inventory to eliminate expensive storage of unusable or outdated technologies, and
• Report on its goals for contracting with small businesses.

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