{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://aderholt.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/aderholt-questions-assistant-secretary-pistole-fy13-transportation", "Aderholt Questions Assistant Secretary Pistole on FY13 Transportation Security Administration Budget", "2012-02-28", "2012", "2012-02", "Republican", "House", "AL", "Robert B. Aderholt", "A000055", "aderholt.house.gov", "aderholt", "https://aderholt.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28, 2012\n\nCONTACT: Anne Marie Malecha, 202.225.4876\n\nAderholt Questions Assistant Secretary Pistole on FY13 Transportation Security Administration Budget\n\nDemands Answers on Unauthorized Airline Passenger Fees, TSA Screening Processes and Procurement\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on the House Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) John Pistole testified before the Subcommittee regarding TSA\u2019s priorities and FY13 budget request.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s tough economic environment leaves little room for error and absolutely demands truth-in-budgeting,\u201d said Aderholt. \u201cHowever, TSA\u2019s budget $7.64 billion budget request includes nearly $117 million in phantom offsets in the form of unauthorized airline passenger fees that stand no chance of passing either chamber of Congress this year, along with the assumption that these fees would generate $7.5 billion in new offsets over the next ten years. This smoke and mirror savings leaves TSA\u2019s budget with a major shortfall, a shortfall that could potentially threaten national security. It\u2019s time TSA, the Department and the Administration responsibly plan for real costs\u2014not hypotheticals. We need a credible way to address this budget shortfall from the Department, or this subcommittee will be forced to find a solution\u2014a solution that this Administration may not like.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile I commend TSA\u2019s new risk-based approach to security, with pilot programs like \u201cPre-Check,\u201d I\u2019m concerned that TSA can effectively measure the program\u2019s success and, assuming it proves successful, quickly expand participation by the greater traveling public. I urge TSA to make every effort to find ways to expand this program and similar efforts so as to allow the agency to better use its limited resources, while ensuring the greatest security.\u201d\n\n\u201cTSA continues to struggle with its procurement and equipment maintenance processes, particularly with explosive detections systems (EDS) tasked with screening checked baggage. While recapitalizing the aging baggage screening equipment fleet is important, the $347 million FY13 request puts forth few dollars toward streamlining or modernizing the costly, complicated and cumbersome screening process that exists today. During these tough budgetary times, we simply cannot accept the costly status quo. I hope TSA reevaluates its procurement and technology strategy to ensure that dollars spent, equals security realized in both the near and long term.\u201d\n\n\u201cUltimately TSA must find a way to balance persistent and evolving national security threats with the need for free flow of trade and people and it must be done in a fiscally responsibly way, no more smoke and mirror \u2018savings,\u2019\u201d concluded Aderholt.\n\nClick here to view Chairman Aderholt\u2019s entire opening statement as prepared for delivery.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:10:41Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://aderholt.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/aderholt-questions-assistant-secretary-pistole-fy13-transportation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.009098021313548, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}