Registered Traveler vendor, TSA chief clash at Congressional hearing

A frustrated Steven Brill, whose Verified Identity Pass is the leading private-sector vendor in the ‘Registered Traveler’ (RT) program, told a Congressional hearing that the Transportation Security Administration seems to be dragging its feet on approving technology that would make the program worthwhile for participants. And TSA chief Kip Hawley implicitly confirmed Brill’s criticism by telling the same panel that the RT program isn’t worth much from a security standpoint. Brill, whose Clear RT program is in place at several airports, charged that TSA has “not allowed RT to become what it can and should become. To the contrary, it seems that at almost every turn decisions that threaten to undermine RT have been made by the TSA Threat Assessment and Credentialing Office.” For example, Brill’s company is planning to use new airport scanning devices that would allow members to keep their shoes on when going through a checkpoint, but TSA has not yet signed off on the technology as required. TSA’s Hawley told the committee that the RT program as it currently exists – requiring passengers to undergo a background check and then obtain a biometric ID card – is “not an effective operational tool” in fighting terrorism. He said that a potential terrorist who is not on government watch lists could easily sign up to join RT. According to press reports, at least two members of the House Homeland Security Committee ripped into Hawley and the TSA for not doing more to help the program along.