Good afternoon, Chairman Amodei, Ranking Member Underwood, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the invitation to testify before you today on behalf of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). I am honored to be here and grateful for the longstanding and productive partnership TSA shares with this distinguished Subcommittee.
Today, TSA stands at an important strategic crossroads. The upcoming 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics present an enormous opportunity for the Nation to boldly transform and modernize its travel nodes and networks.
The importance of a seamless and secure U.S. transportation system cannot be overstated— economically, logistically, and strategically. This includes an $11 trillion industry employing more than 15 million workers nationwide, a metric that is only expected to grow. The President, Secretary Noem, and this Administration are committed to delivering a Golden Age of U.S. Travel, one that Americans will be proud of and deserve. TSA constitutes an integral component of that vision. The President and the Secretary also recognize that customer service is central to TSA’s mission. As arguably the most visible government agency to the America public, one potentially unpleasant interaction with an officer could forever tarnish a traveler’s perception of the agency.
While the previous Administration prioritized DEI over many of our national security agencies vital missions, under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are recommitting TSA to its core mission—leaning into innovation, organizational accountability, and a renewed focus on passenger experience and security. On peak days, TSA screens over three million passengers, routinely engaging with more Americans and foreign visitors than any other DHS component. TSA is an agile security agency, embodied by a dedicated and professional workforce, that works tirelessly to outmatch an increasingly sophisticated and dynamic threat. TSA’s greatest asset is its people, and I want to thank TSA’s employees for their unrelenting efforts day in and day out to secure the Nation’s transportation systems. From our Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), Canine Handlers, Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) and more, these men and women all embody the Agency’s core values.
I would also like to thank TSA’s tremendous partners ranging from interagency, state, local, international, and industry. These critical partnerships have enabled TSA to strengthen transportation security, gain operational efficiencies, and improve the passenger experience.
Through increased innovation and a renewed commitment to the American people, TSA’s future will be defined by a traveler security experience that is less intrusive while maintaining the high standard of security Americans expect. Fortified aviation security will be coupled with an improved, streamlined, and consistent experience at airports nationwide. As American families plan trips in the coming years, they can rest assured that at TSA we will be dedicated to crafting policies and processes that put them first.
Overview of TSA
While we look to and prepare for the future, we must also never forget our past. The Nation will soon mark 25 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Through swift action by Congress in response to the 9/11 attacks, TSA was established in November 2001 by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA). Since its inception, TSA has stayed true and steadfast in its commitment to the American people to provide the highest level of security across all modes of transportation, including aviation, air cargo, mass transit, passenger and freight rail, highway and motor carrier, maritime, and pipeline.
In the years since 9/11, the Nation’s transportation networks have expanded, while transportation security threats have evolved and become more dynamic. Passenger volumes have reached record highs at the airports. Over the course of 2024, TSA screened 904 million passengers, 494 million checked bags, and 2.1 billion carry-on bags.
Management of this great responsibility is supported by critical pilot programs that Congress has afforded us to explore with industry and international partners to better improve the passenger experience. Domestically, the Reimbursable Screening Services Program (RSSP) allows industry to provide white-glove screening services outside an airport terminal, which is an innovative way to offset TSA costs. With our international partners, TSA is advancing our One Stop Security (OSS) pilot program which will significantly streamline screening for our inbound international visitors and Americans traveling abroad.
TSA Priorities
Technology
The transportation sector remains a top target for nefarious actors both here, at home, and abroad, in the physical and cyber realms. Greater access to technology enables TSA’s screening workforce to assess potential threats quickly and efficiently while supporting a more seamless experience for the traveling public. With the continued support of Congress, TSA is deploying state-of-the-art screening technology to airports nationwide, equipping the screening workforce with the tools they need to combat evolving threats. To meet our goals of modernizing the travel experience, a commitment to continually embracing new and emerging technology is urgently needed. Given the pace of the evolving threat and bad actors looking to thwart our last line of defense, TSA needs to be able to leverage technological advances at the pace of innovation. Today, two existing technology programs help advance that goal - the Credential Authentication Technology and Computed Tomography.
Credential Authentication Technology (CAT)
As of April 2025, TSA has reached a cumulative deployment of over 2,136 CAT machines across 247 locations. CAT is an aviation security game changer, improving identity verification at checkpoints, ensuring ID authentication, enhancing fraudulent ID detection capabilities, reservation verification, and real-time Secure Flight checks. The CAT machines have been updated to enable the use of optional facial recognition technology to match credentials to the passenger, while safeguarding and protecting their privacy. CAT has also become the impetus for allowing the use of Mobile Driver’s Licenses (mDLs) and Digital IDs (dID) at our checkpoints. Currently, CAT machines accept mDLs and dIDs from 15 states, including many of those represented on this Subcommittee, including Nevada, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, and Hawaii. CAT machines are deployed at 247 of the 432 commercial airports nationwide, which equates to an estimated 58% of Full Operational Capability (FOC). TSA’s deployment of CATs to all airports nationwide is not expected to be completed until 2049.
Computed Tomography (CT)
As of April 2025, TSA has reached a cumulative deployment of 968 CT machines across 255 locations. CTs are state-of-the-art X-ray scanning equipment, applying sophisticated algorithms for the detection of explosives and other prohibited items by creating a 3D image which can be viewed and rotated 360 degrees for a thorough analysis. These capabilities eliminate the need for passengers to take electronics and travel-size liquids, aerosols, and gels out of carry-on bags, both improving the passenger experience and the security of the traveling public. CT machines are deployed at 255 of the 432 commercial airports nationwide, with an estimated 43% of FOC. TSA’s deployment of CTs to all airports nationwide is not expected to be completed until 2043. These bold investments in technology will pay multiple dividends in the out years as we work to reposition the Nation as the number one global travel destination.
REAL ID
Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, TSA is meeting its statutory requirement and fully enforcing REAL ID requirements. The REAL ID Act of 2005 enacted the 9/11 Commission Report recommendation aimed at combatting fraudulent IDs and ensuring passengers are who they say they are, preventing bad actors from getting on commercial airplanes. As the 9/11 Commission Report stated, “For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons.” This Administration will no longer delay the decades long deferment of these requirements. As of May 7, 2025, TSA is enforcing REAL ID compliance at airports across the country. Over 93 percent of IDs presented at the TSA checkpoint are either REAL ID compliant or another acceptable form of ID. We will continue working closely with all states to ensure widespread adoption of REAL IDs. Additionally, managing passenger volume and screening checkpoint flow will require close coordination between TSA, airlines, and airport operators at the local level. Maintaining effective communication with stakeholders and providing operational flexibility to local TSA personnel will ensure TSA maintains the highest standards for aviation security, without impeding the flow of passengers through the screening checkpoint.
Conclusion
Continued congressional engagement and support is critical to ensuring TSA can continue to fulfill its national security mission. To achieve our priorities, TSA will continue to work collaboratively with Congress, industry, and other stakeholders to strengthen aviation security and improve the passenger experience.
With continued support from Congress and this Committee, a screening process that is efficient, technologically integrated, secure, and more affordable to the American taxpayer is within our grasp.
Chairman Amodei, Acting Ranking Member Underwood, and members of the Subcommittee, it is a privilege to testify before you today. I thank you for your support and look forward to this discussion and your questions.