Number: RS21244
Title: Department of Homeland Security: Should the Transportation Security Administration be Included?
Authors: Robert S. Kirk, Resources, Science and Industry Division 
Abstract: As part of the President's plan to create a new Department of Homeland Security, the recently created Transportation Security administration would be removed from the Department of Transportation and transferred to the new entity. Supporters argue that attacks on transportation make up too large a portion of terrorist attacks, world-wide, to leave TSA out of the new department and that to do so would create problems of dual lines of authority for transportation security. Opponents argue that, in passing the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) (P.L. 107-71), Congress placed the TSA in the DOT and there is no reason to replay the debate so soon. They also argue that TSA is itself an agency under construction and that to move it to a new department would delay the implementation of ATSA and weaken important ties to the transportation expertise of DOT. This report summarizes these and other arguments on both sides of the issue.
Pages: 6
Date: Updated July 24, 2002