Posted on 06/02/2015 11:38:02 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross
Speaking from the White House Tuesday, Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Americans can be confident airports around the country are secure and that President Obama still has confidence in the TSA.
"The President does believe the American people should feel confident in traveling airports all across the country because there are security measures in place to protect the traveling public," Earnest said. "The President does continue to have confidence that the officers of the TSA do very important work that continues to protect the American people and continue to protect the American aviation system."
"Now, what's also true is that there were specific concerns that were raised by this classified report that was conducted by the independent inspector general and in response to that report the Director of Homeland Security directed the TSA to undertake seven specific steps to address those concerns. That's everything from new, intensive training for supervisors across the country, to revising standard operating procedures, retesting screening equipment and even redoubling our efforts to ensure that the most up to date, modern screening equipment is being used in airports across the country to keep us safe," Earnest continued. "Our efforts to develop a multi-layered security approach means that we have effective measures in place to counter threats to our aviation system and we are always looking for ways to strengthen those efforts. Efforts to refine those security strategies are sometimes visible to the traveling public, sometimes those strategies are not obvious."
This statement from Earnest comes just one day after an internal government report showed TSA failed to prevent potential terror attacks carried out with knifes or explosives 96 percent of the time during undercover tests.
The series of tests were conducted by Homeland Security Red Teams who pose as passengers, setting out to beat the system.
According to officials briefed on the results of a recent Homeland Security Inspector General’s report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests, with Red Team members repeatedly able to get potential weapons through checkpoints.
In one test an undercover agent was stopped after setting off an alarm at a magnetometer, but TSA screeners failed to detect a fake explosive device that was taped to his back during a follow-on pat down.
When asked directly if there was any outrage from the President when he heard the 96 percent figure, Earnest didn't give a direct answer. Further, Earnest said it's important for the Senate to confirm President Obama's nominee, Coast Guard Vice Commander Peter Neffenger, to head the TSA.
TSA receives $8 billion in taxpayer funding each year. Late yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson reassigned the head of the agency in light of these new revelations.
video at link ...
If you like your TSA, you can keep your TSA ....
Walk right in.
Sit right down...
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." ... President Ronald "Maximus" Reagan
I have confidence in the TSA. I am confident that just like every other government agency they can and will screw up anything they touch. I have always believed the government could screw up a one car funeral.
Of course he has confidence...! He doesn’t use it!!!
These TSA rat-bassturds never miss my 3.5 oz tube of tooth paste. And I have British teeth!
$8billion a year is a heck of a lot of walking around money.
You’d think that they’d do better by accident. 96% failure would almost have to be intentional.
Did he say our airport security is the most respected in the world?
Of course the Marxist has confidence in TSA.
He never flies commercial and will never have to again.
Baraq must not have been watching the news at the time.
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Homeland Job Security.....
Does Josh Earnest leave an actual slime trail wherever he walks? or does it just seem like he should?
hmmmmmmmm... you have a good point
Good thing we made the TSA government workers so they can’t be fired for utter incompetence. Any private sector company that failed to provide their primary service would be out of business. But keep strip searching granny, ya idiots!
The POSOTUS is mentally incompetent.
Remember the Dems insisting that “To professionalize, we must Unionize.”? They figured that AA hires would be professional if the gave up a large portion of income to the Unions. How’d that work out?
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