After GOP criticism, TSA officials to testify at body-scan hearing

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials will appear before a House Oversight subpanel Wednesday after receiving withering criticism from Republican lawmakers earlier in the day for not being present.

"This is an agency that is crying out for reform, and I think it's very sad they would choose to not show up," House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) said at the beginning of the National Security subcommittee's hearing on TSA's full-body scan technology.

Mica criticized the agency for having five administrators in as many years, and National Security subcommittee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) compared the pat-downs now being used as part of airport security screening measures to sexual assault.

"There are many of us who believe this would be deemed a sexual assault on a person," he said.

After setting that tone for Wednesday's hearing, Chaffetz said TSA officials had agreed to testify about 12:15 p.m., so the committee would add a third panel.

TSA Assistant Administrator for Security Technology Robin Kane and Assistant Administrator for Security Operations Lee Kair were scheduled to testify.

The hearing can be watched here.

---