Today the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (IG) released a report showing that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which oversees the security of America’s transportation systems including all of the security screening at airports, has little or no oversight of their contractor workforce. The report charges that TSA, in relying on contractors to perform inherently governmental work, has allowed instances where contractors were reviewing their own invoices to determine whether they were charging reasonable prices for services. This is a clear violation of contracting law and regulations. U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, chair of the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, made the following statement in reaction to the news:
“The recent audit report by the DHS IG of the TSA’s support services contracts is infuriating. Talk about the fox guarding the hen house. DHS must answer for their insufficient management and oversight. I plan to work with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure appropriate measures are taken.”
The report also emphasized a lack of trained acquisition officers at TSA to oversee service contracts. McCaskill is an original co-sponsor of two bills that would help to bolster the federal acquisition workforce and put more well-trained people in place at federal agencies to oversee and write contracts.
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