Major General Robert A. Harding Tells Commerce Committee That Israeli Security System Could Be A "Blueprint" For U.S. Airports

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing Tuesday on the nomination of Major General Robert A. Harding (U.S.A., ret.), to lead TSA as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. That hearing was followed by one held Wednesday morning by the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

“We simply cannot ignore the fact that our Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has no administrator in charge, no leader at the helm. The attempted Christmas Day attack illustrated the absolute need for TSA to have the strong leader it needs to keep us safe," said Commerce Committee chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) in Tuesdays hearing. "Our enemies are persistent and dangerous, and we know they continue to plan new attacks. We need a highly qualified, strong administrator to lead the TSA and its workforce in protecting our country against future attacks. Major General Robert Harding’s distinguished career in both government and the private sector—where he gained the strong management and leadership skills that the position demands—makes him a good fit for this mission. I have no doubt that Major General Harding is ready and qualified to lead this agency effectively.”

Reuters reports that Harding told the Senators on the Commerce panel that the Israeli security system could serve as a "blueprint" for airport security in the U.S. "We should move even closer to an Israeli model where there's more engagement with passengers," Harding said. "I think that increases the layers and pushes the layers out."

Texas Senator Kaye Bailey Hutchison (pictured), the senior Republican on the panel, asked General Harding about his position on unionizing the 48,000 TSA screeners. She said flexibility and agility are key in the agency's ability to deploy its human assets where and when they are needed. Harding agreed with that assessment. "I think the secretary and I, in arriving at a decision, would be very concerned about the implementation of such a change if it was to be accepted. We both agree that we would never bargain away security." But Harding said the issue would require "in depth and thorough" study on his part before he could make a recommendation to the Secretary. "I understand your inability to make a clear answer, but I'm going to be very interested in following this," Hutchison responded.

Wednesday, in a hearing before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Harding said he sees TSA as a key player in national security. "If confirmed, I will ensure that TSA continues to work closely with and receives necessary intelligence from the Intelligence Community, and that this information is applied across transportation modes," Harding said in his opening remarks. "I believe that the TSA should work closely with our partners in the Intelligence Community to improve the kinds of information needed from the watchlist system; and if confirmed, I will continue the work begun from the President’s review to work with our interagency partners to review and, where necessary, modify the criteria and process used to build the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) and nominate names for the No-Fly and Selectee Lists."

"Additionally, I will encourage the use of enhanced screening technologies, both at domestic airports and by our international partners, while remaining respectful of privacy, and civil rights and liberties," he continued. "Our objective in using these technologies is clear: to strengthen our abilities to find dangerous materials and to stop dangerous people."

FMI: http://commerce.senate.gov, http://hsgac.senate.gov, www.tsa.gov