TSA Budget Hearing

The Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee held two hearings today on different portions of the DHS budget request for FY 2011. While I did not really expect to hear chemical security issues raised in the prepared testimony for the DHS Intelligence Programs hearing, I was very disappointed to see that the Freight Rail Security Program administered by the TSA was completely ignored in the TSA budget hearing. With the exception of a brief mention of the TWIC program and the minor increase in the number VIPR teams for ground passenger transportation security, the entire testimony of the Acting Administrator was focused on air transportation security issues. Chairman Price did not mention ground transportation security issues at all in his statement opening the hearing.