Washington Wire - 2005-05-16

Bush To Name Edmund "Kip" Hawley to Head TSA

President George W. Bush named California supply-chain computer technology consultant Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley to be the Transportation Security Administration's fourth director in its three-year history, acting just weeks after David Stone announced his resignation. Bush earlier this month said he would nominate Hawley, a member of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Services Committee. A formal nomination will come at a later date. Hawley helped establish the TSA as a private-sector representative in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Hawley will take over an agency accused by members of Congress of becoming ineffectual, and facing public relations problems after some passengers complained of overly intimate frisking by TSA employees. Stone in April said he would step down from the job in June, and Michael Chertoff, the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, reportedly is planning to restructure TSA. Hawley played a critical role in establishing TSA, working with deputy secretary of DHS Michael Jackson. Then, Hawley returned to San Mateo, Calif., to join Arzoon Inc., a subsidiary of SSA Global Technologies Inc. He previously worked as vice president of transportation services for Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, Neb., and is a former lobbyist for the Department of Transportation. "We're high on Mr. Hawley," said James May, chief executive of the Air Transport Association, the trade group that includes the United States' largest carriers. "He will bring a great combination of skills and experience to the position." Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House transportation subcommittee on aviation, said Hawley's experience with technology in the private sector will win the confidence of lawmakers who have grown skeptical of the agency's ability to do its job. "We're going to do a high-tech makeover, which will rely less on personnel and more on technology," Mica said. Hawley's nomination will require Senate confirmation.

Air Marshal Ranks to Grow

The United States is about to boost its ranks of armed, undercover air marshals on commercial flights for the first time since 2001. David Adams, a spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service, said an announcement is imminent and that Congress approved an extra $50 million for new hires. While the actual number of air marshals is classified, their numbers grew to more than 4,000 from 33 before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Since then, the agency has faced an annual attrition rate of about 6.5 percent. Air marshals are estimated to cover about 5 percent of the 30,000 daily U.S. commercial flights, with a preponderance of those originating or ending in Washington, D.C., or New York City. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California has sued the Department of Homeland Security, alleging it is unconstitutionally muzzling air marshal Frank Terreri, who has identified security lapses in letters to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. Terreri, a federal air marshal for three years, heads a union of federal law enforcement officers, including 1,400 air marshals. Terreri challenged dress codes for air marshals, saying the rules made undercover agents stick out. "Everyone's heard that you can pick out a federal air marshal from a mile away because they look like a 1950s FBI agent," said Peter Eliasberg, managing attorney for the ACLU in Southern California. "Frank stuck his neck out to try to improve the way his agency works, and those in charge found any excuse to punish him. This lawsuit will shed light on Homeland Security policies that don't contribute to safety, but rather violate constitutional rights.

Passengers To Surrender More Personal Info To Fly

The U.S. government soon will require airlines and travel agents to collect more personal information from passengers, including full legal names and birthdates. The Transportation Security Administration will require the new information in the next couple of months; the information will be checked against terrorist watch lists. Passengers who refuse to comply will be subject to additional scrutiny at security checkpoints, the government said. Justin Oberman, an assistant administrator at TSA, said the program would begin with two airlines he wouldn't identify. The requirement will be fully phased in over the next 18 months. Separately, TSA has rolled out new technology at Boston's Logan, New York's John F. Kennedy, Denver, Orlando and Salt Lake City airports to better control access to sensitive airport areas. "These programs will deploy various technologies, including state-of-the-art video surveillance, radio frequency identification cards, iris scan readers, and hand geometry readers to protect against unwanted guests going to secure areas of the airport," said TSA administrator David Stone.