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- Formed: November 19, 2001
- Established by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001
- Parent agency: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
- Employees: 43,000 (2007)
- Administrator: Kip Hawley
- Budget: $4.7 billion (2007)
- Created in response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks
- Oversees highways, railroads, buses, mass transit systems, ports, and airports
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The U.S. Transportation Security Administration, often referred to as TSA, is a subsidiary agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 in order to oversee the security of interstate transportation. The TSA's main focus is on air travel safety.
In May 2009, privacy advocate groups asked the TSA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to suspend the use of "whole-body imaging" machines being tested in 19 airports across the nation. According to opponents, the whole-body amounts to a virtual "strip search" of passengers, with the machines producing images passengers' nude bodies. The TSA has said that all proper steps have been taken to ensure passenger privacy.CNN: Airport security bares all, or does it? (May 18, 2009)
Whole-Body Imaging
In 2007, the TSA began testing whole-body imaging machines at 19 airports across the nation. While many privacy advocates oppose the use of the machines because they produce "nude" images of passengers, the machines are being hailed as a faster, less invasive security screening procedure. The machines are operated by two security professionals, one to run the machine and another to screen the images in a separate room. The security professional running the machine never sees the images and the security professional screening the images never sees the passenger. For additional passenger privacy, the images appear "fuzzy" and are automatically deleted after being screened.CNN: Airport security bares all, or does it? (May 18, 2009)Ineffective Procedures
Despite rigorously implementing nationwide security procedures, the TSA has failed in numerous tests. Undercover agents would attempt to smuggle contraband such as guns or bombs past TSA check points. TSA agents failed to detect these items in numerous tests held at Newark Liberty International Airport in 2006, and again at Albany International Airport in 2007.-
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U.S. Transportation Security Administration Questions
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What qualifications does Jill Zuckman have in the area of transportation/public affairs? 1 AnswerNow, I don't know a lot about politics, but I don't get it. How can a journalist be the best candidate for assistant to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. M... read more -
Will there be another civil war in the U.S.? 9 AnswersProbably not. 150 years ago, people were different and much more willing to take action on what they believed in. It seems now that everything is just an inte... read more -
Who is the current U.S. Secretary of State? 2 AnswersSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was recently sworn in. "Date: 01/21/2009 Description: Secretary of State-Designate Hillary Rodham Clinton being sworn ... read more -
What are the best colleges in the U.S.? 7 AnswersFind out where people you respect went to college. What do you want to study? Who do you look up to in that field? Where did they go to college. This can hel... read more
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