Yes, because more TSA is exactly what everyone wants and needs. Shouldn't they have to prove some actual value before expanding their program to more trains and buses?
The Republican calling for a greater presence of the TSA holds a powerful position, so it's likely only a matter of time before the TSA is discovering new ways to spend money and attack personal privacy without ever showing any real threat or real benefit. The Hill:
Lawmakers normally criticize the TSA for its airport security techniques, but Rep. Mike Rodgers (R-Ala.) said during a hearing Thursday that the controversial agency's surface transportation initiatives were inefficient.
"We know aviation continues to be a major focus for our enemies," Rodgers said. "Having said that, terrorists see surface transportation as a very attractive target. And since we can’t screen everyone and everything that gets on a train, truck or bus, intelligence sharing, deterrence, and detection measures are extremely important."
Rodgers is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Transportation Security. The panel held a hearing Thursday to investigate the TSA's management of its surface transportation inspection program, which is designed to provide spot security checks in lieu of the inspections of every passenger that typify air travel.
