Martin Sabo: “Mr. Chairman, I suppose if it were an ideal world, I would prefer not to have staffing caps and would like to think I…”

“Mr. Chairman, I suppose if it were an ideal world, I would prefer not to have staffing caps and would like to think I could trust an agency to manage the staffing. There is nothing about TSA that gives me that confidence. I have dealt with endless agencies over the years. I have never dealt with one more frustrating to deal with in all my years of public service than TSA. There was maybe no option other than top-down development in the agency at the beginning, but it was chaotic. It was hiring people without any thought. It was not managing contracts. It was wasting money all over the place. Today, there is no reason to continue that top-down management. It does not work. I am impressed by the new director from what he says. Maybe the agency can change; but if we say, have your own way, those pressures will disappear. There are times when we have agencies when they are not working, we have got to force them to make some decisions. They clearly mismanaged personnel, misallocated personnel all over the country. Incredibly bureaucratic, top down, people at the bottom cannot make decisions, cannot hire people. I do not think they can train people, maybe a little bit. So I understand why my colleagues are frustrated.”