TSA claims it is above Congressional Oversight ... oh really~! now isn't that special

It appears we have a Rogue agency on the payroll if this is true....
Infowars.com
and according to Infowars.com and the links - Its stated as a matter of fact...
and the last time I looked - no one is above the long arm of Congress.... not even the President
including my wallet unfortunately for me I guess - since over 40% dont pay taxes, sort makes fools out of people like me that want our nation to be strong and long lasting... (I know Ronald Regan said not one penny you pay goes to paying one cent on running this country) 3 card molly gig...

Link to the Request

Steve Watson
Infowars.com
Nov 28, 2012

The TSA has refused to attend a House Transportation hearing this week, with agency head John Pistole personally refusing to appear and declaring that the Congressional Committee has “no jurisdiction over the TSA”.

The hearing, schedule for Thursday, will be held by the Subcommittee on Aviation, a part of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (TIC). It is titled HOW BEST TO IMPROVE OUR NATION’S AIRPORT PASSENGER SECURITY SYSTEM THROUGH COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS.

Headed by Rep. Thomas Petri, it will “examine the impact that the regulations and policies of the Transportation Security Administration have on aviation passenger experience and the free flow of aviation commerce,” according to a brief on the subcommittee’s website (PDF).
The TIC’s website indicates that TSA head John Pistole has been asked to testify at the hearing. However, a statement issued on the TSA’s website made it clear that neither Pistole, nor any TSA official intends to attend the hearing.

so they are saying that it is the House of Representative rules that say that Congress has no oversight - seems fair enough - the rule should be able to be identified and corrected.

Originally posted by 1BornPatriot


Link to the Request


TSA will continue to work with its committees of jurisdiction to pursue effective and efficient security solutions. In the 112th Congress alone, TSA witnesses have testified at 38 hearings and provided 425 briefings for Members of Congress.

They didn't say all of congress, They say that they will continue to work with the committees that do have jurisdiction. I am wondering which committees they think that is if not this one? However, I can see some contempt of congress charges in the near future. At least there had better be....

FOR CLARITY:

TSA is NOT saying that Congress has no authority over them. They are saying that specific committee has no jurisdiction.

Of course, I still think the TSA is a little big for their britches and are trying as hard as they can to keep away any changes or scrutiny.

I suggest this thread title should be edited as it is currently misleading. The TSA sucks, but they aren't claiming to be "above the law" with regard to Congress. Just to that specific committee.



EDIT: The OP actually was correct with the thread title ONLY BECAUSE it is the original title of the sourced article on Infowars.com. Even so, the title is misleading and Infowars.com should practice better journalism. This title suggests that either A) The author/editor didn't read their own article or B) Infowars.com themselves have an agenda to push and are willing to bend the truth to achieve it.


EDIT2: Again, I am NOT defending the TSA or their agenda. I'm not a fan. I'm also not trying to bash Infowars.com or their agenda. But truth is truth, and I'm just trying to stop a runaway train of misinformation.

wow, they are out of control. I wouldn't normally agree with those against them entirely, but in this case, they need to answer to the law of the land. No one is above it. Makes for disorder and self obsessed pricks to act like selfish little children.

It does work backwards. They are being hissy brats. Answer to the F-ing congress of the country you swore to protect and the committees it sends. You are not a separate entity. You are under ITS jurisdiction since it is the F-ing congress of the nation you supposedly protect. Set an example for Christ's sake.

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


They say TSA will be there - and if they aren't they will cross that bridge then.... well, its violating the law as far as I am concerned - so let them be above congress and in a jail cell as far as that goes... anyone claiming to be above the law usually ends up in a cell. ... that has also been my experience... hes got some big balls .... I just hope our Congress has bigger ones... and they start swinging them. should keep them busy for a few years.

reply to post by 1BornPatriot


If the TSA's Pistole or anyone else does not show up, then they are in contempt of congress, correct? So, have them arrested and put in jail until such time as they agree to do their jobs.

Guys, listen: TSA didn't say they are above Congress. They say they are just not within the jurisdiction of that particular committee.

What we should be trying to figure out is:

1. Who DOES have jurisdiction over the TSA?
   
2. Is there past legislation that specifies Congressional oversight of TSA?
   
3. Is there legislation that categorizes TSA as a "National Security" agency, and un-related to "Aviation & Transportation"?
   
4. Regardless of jurisdiction, what is the TSA's agenda? Why wouldn't they want to discuss things with this particular committee, even if they don't have jurisdiction?
   

I feel the meme's I posted were more on topic than most other posters...

Presumably, this cat fight of oligarchs started here....

Court orders TSA to justify year-long defiance of the law

TSA has refused to explain and take public comments on body-scanning policies

For over a year, the Transportation Security Administration has ignored a court order requiring it to engage in a formal rule-making process regarding body-scanning machines at airports. On Wednesday, the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit granted a request by the Electronic Privacy Information Center to compel the TSA to explain its actions.

Critics of the full-body scanners have questioned whether the machines protect the health and privacy of travelers, and whether the machines will prove effective at stopping terrorists. Ordinarily, those concerns would be raised during the formal rule-making process that federal agencies are required to conduct before they establish new regulations.

The TSA appears to believe these requirements do not apply to them.

Where does one turn when an "agency" simply "blows off" a court order? Well, normally an Inspector General may act as Omnibus to take on such grievances....

But since the DHS is the new "god-almighty" of the corporate/government interface... the corporate-celebrated, politically-appointed inspector general isn't going to do a gol-darn thing (we've all seen this before int he case of the Special Inspector General of the so-called "Federal" Reserve and it's minions)

Where do you turn then? ..... Lobbyists...... who go to their favorite political thespian to engage a process through a committee to compel a review of how ANY agency could declare itself as the arbiter of jurisdiction (which essentially bypasses the Judicial authority based upon opaque processes and policies within the parent "department")

Tada! Here we are.

And rather than discuss the problem itself... that the agency (and by extension the department it belongs to) seems to be gravitating towards the totalitarian... they want to argue about who gets to call them to the floor on the matter....

reply to post by Heliophant


I understand your points, but my question is, "Why would the TSA, NOT be under the jurisdiction of the House Transportation committee?".

Does it not seem like that would be the logical committee to ask them questions? I mean, we have all seen how the TSA is at the airports (transportation), the highways (transportation), bus terminals (transportation), and railways (transportation).........

I wonder what oversight committees they are held accountable too?

Perhaps our government has been taken over.......after all, if our elected officials have no say as to what federal agencies can and cannot do, would that not in fact mean we are under a dictatorial rule?

reply to post by Maxmars

Aha! Now we're getting somewhere. From EPIC's website:

Congress to Scrutinize TSA's "Scanner Shuffle" The House Subcommittee on Transportation Security is holding an oversight hearing this week, "TSA's Recent Scanner Shuffle: Real Strategy or Wasteful Smokescreen?" The hearing announcement follows a decision by the TSA to remove the backscatter x-ray devices from major US airports. In a statement for the record, EPIC highlighted public concerns about the use of body scanners, including health and privacy risks, and the failure of the TSA to take public comments on the program. In July 2011, the federal appeals court in Washington, DC ruled that that the Department of Homeland Security must "act promptly" to receive public comments.

For more information, see EPIC: EPIC v. DHS (Suspension of Body Scanner Program), EPIC: Whole Body Imaging Technology and Body Scanners ("Backscatter" X-Ray and Millimeter Wave Screening) and EPIC: EPIC: Body Scanner FAQ.

epic.org...
The "more information" part at the bottom has links to various sites/articles if you are interested. Just click the above link to go to the source site.

For the full statement from EPIC, click here: www.jdsupra.com...
PDF: www.jdsupra.com...
DOC: www.jdsupra.com...

So it would appear that TSA is dragging its arse in response to court orders. To be fair, it doesn't appear these court orders set a definite time table to comply.

Once again, I gotta say im NOT a fan of the TSA! Very glad the backscatter x-rays are going away, but that agency needs to be more forthcoming and transparent. Or just go away completely.

It can also be argued that the DC courts and legislators need to put more pressure on the TSA. Instead of just saying "please do what we ask sometime soon", they should be saying, "We want this, and we want it by this date, and this is what will happen if you don't comply."

-Transportation Security Administration, only currently employed on aviation transportation

-Transportation an Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Aviation.

I suppose to someone, somewhere, all of this idiocy makes sense. Who then, has jurisdiction over the TSA, since we're just going to ignore the guy we hired to name things.

Stop paying the budget for the TSA. Whoever they complain to - That's who they should answer to.
Simple?

reply to post by FreebirdGirl


I'm sure the UN and the IMF would love to fund the distruction of this nation and its laws.

Originally posted by 1BornPatriot
reply to post by FreebirdGirl

 

I'm sure the UN and the IMF would love to fund the distruction of this nation and its laws.

Sadly, you are probably right.
Second line- Ta Da

Until the AVERAGE JOE gets off his ass and starts to organise a resistance...and i do mean resistance, not just complaints......the TSA and the FBI, the DOD and the CIA, as well as other agencies BATF etc....
are all acting in unconstitutional capacities....either outright violations or simple contempt......and will continue to do so.....
Its gonna take an army of pissed off Americans to make things right again......

"COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS".

Clearly that is what's scaring them away.

"By U.S. House of Representatives rules which state that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has no jurisdiction over the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), no representative from TSA will be present at the Subcommittee on Aviation hearing scheduled for Nov. 29," Pistole said in a statement that was provided to The Hill after the meeting.


"TSA will continue to work with its committees of jurisdiction to pursue effective and efficient security solutions," Pistole continued. "In the 112th Congress alone, TSA witnesses have testified at 38 hearings and provided 425 briefings for Members of Congress."

thehill.com...

He could be right , maybe congress does'nt have oversight of the TSA . Don't know don't care , because I know for a fact that congress does have the power to withhold funds till they get the matter straightened out . I don't know if they have the guts to go through with it though .