A Tennessee Republican wants to cut by 20 percent funding for Transportation Security Officer uniforms.
A provision in the Fiscal Year 2014 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill — pushed by U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and supported by Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Carter, R-Texas — cuts taxpayer funding for screener uniforms by $18 million.
In 2005, the TSA reclassified TSA airport screeners as Transportation Security Officers. In doing so, the TSA upgraded officers’ uniforms to include a metal badge, but screeners do not have any law enforcement training, according to Blackburn.
“My concern and the complaint I hear most from my constituents is that despite their appearance, TSA officers do not have any federal law enforcement training to reflect their current title and appearance,” Blackburn said in a statement. “This can be very confusing to the traveling public as they interact with TSA officers at airports, on highways, rail stations, ferry terminals, bus stations, and other mass transit facilities across the country.”
Added Blackburn: “We have an obligation to ensure that the title and appearance of federal employees properly reflects their training and background. Until we are able to pass a legislative fix to correct the TSA’s administrative decision we need to use the power of the purse to ensure that TSA screeners are not abusing the current perception that they are trained federal law enforcement officers.”
In March, Blackburn was among those who complained about a $50 million contract for new TSA uniforms. The contract came just days before the sequester kicked in.
