TSA

Nashville International Airport released security camera footage Thursday of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) quietly sitting in a holding area after refusing a pat down, begging the question of whether the senator was as ‘irate’ as the Transportation Security Administration had initially characterized him.

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Paul said he was told by TSA employees that many security employees are not told of the machines' random programming.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.), slammed the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) after it detained his colleague, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), saying it was "not a thinking agency."  

After refusing pat-down, Paul said security at airports is necessary but TSA’s pat-downs go too far.

Paul, a vocal critic of TSA, was escorted from security area after refusing a pat-down.

The White House is standing by the Transportation Security Administration in its standoff with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and his father, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

The elder Paul called the TSA a "police state" Monday after Rand Paul was reportedly detained by TSA after he refused to take a pat-down from TSA officials at the Nashville International Airport.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that he didn't have any reaction to Paul's "police state" comments.

But Carney sided with the TSA saying, "I think it is absolutely essential that we take necessary actions to ensure that air travel is safe."

Republican president candidate Ron Paul reiterated his plan to eliminate funding for the Transportation Security Administration if he is elected president Monday after his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R), was allegedly detained by the controversial agency.

The younger Paul was reportedly detained by TSA after he refused to take a pat-down from TSA officials at the Nashville International Airport.

His father, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who is one of four remaining Republican candidates for president, said Monday afternoon after he confirmed the incident on his Twitter page that it showed why the TSA should be eliminated.

"The police state in this country is growing out of control," the elder Paul said in a statement released by his presidential campaign.

"One of the ultimate embodiments of this is the TSA that gropes and grabs our children, our seniors, and our loved ones and neighbors with disabilities," he continued. "The TSA does all of this while doing nothing to keep us safe. That is why my ‘Plan to Restore America,’ in additional to cutting $1 trillion dollars in federal spending in one year, eliminates the TSA.

The Transportation Security Administration defended its treatment of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) at Nashville International Airport Monday, saying the lawmaker was treated like every other passenger it processes.

Paul was reportedly detained by TSA after he refused to take a pat-down from TSA officials. His father, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), confirmed the incident on his Twitter page Monday.

TSA said it followed its normal procedure with the Kentucky senator, who has often sharply criticized the agency's pat-downs. 

"When an irregularity is found during the TSA screening process, it must be resolved prior to allowing a passenger to proceed to the secure area of the airport," the agency said Monday in a written statement. "Passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area in order to ensure the safety of others traveling."

The Transportation Security Administration is pushing back on a report that it is bowing to criticism charging its X-ray scanners emit too much radiation by testing its workers.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that the TSA was testing employees at more than 100 airports for radiation exposure. But the controversial agency, which has long maintained the safety of the machines, said it regularly tests both the machines and its workers.

"Testing our equipment and exposure to employees is not new," the agency said in a post on its blog. "TSA routinely monitors radiation levels to ensure the safety of both passengers and our workforce. We've never found any radiation concerns and the safety reports can be accessed publicly at TSA.gov.