Mica: TSA ‘cooked the books’ to inflate screening costs

Mica’s comments were a response to a report Monday from the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general that Mica said showed that the TSA’s cost analysis for the Screening Partnership Program (SPP) is “flawed.”

{mosads}Mica said the TSA incorrectly inflated the cost of private screening operations, by more than $420,000 in one case.

“This is outrageous,” Mica said. “In this case, TSA’s blatant disregard for private-federal screening has unfairly resulted in a 7 percent increase in the cost of private screening operations compared to federal screening.”

Mica said the security agency has also “wasted” taxpayer dollars by over hiring. It has 66,000 employees, including 15,000 administrators and 51,000 screeners.

“This excessive TSA staffing at airports participating in the SPP has resulted in duplicative costs that have still not been factored into estimates,” Mica said. “It is unacceptable that taxpayer funds are wasted on such unnecessary duplication of efforts.”

Mica, who serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he would continue to try and rein in the “out-of-control agency” by attaining a true cost differential between the all-federal and private-federal screening models.