WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing today on the nomination of Mr. John S. Pistole, to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and an Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Witness List:

Mr. John S. Pistole, to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and an Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

Key Quotations from Today’s Hearing: 

“Our vast and open transportation systems are part of people’s everyday lives in small towns and big cities and they connect our communities to a wider world. That enormous reach is what makes our transportation systems such a powerful tool for terrorists and such an alluring target for our enemies who continue to look for new ways to penetrate our defenses and plan new attacks.  As former Chairman and a current member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have a unique perspective on the threats we face. Our enemies are motivated, they grow more sophisticated every day, and we must be many steps ahead of them always. We need an experienced and skilled Administrator now, to lead the TSA and its workforce in protecting our country against future attacks. Period.”

Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

“Throughout my years of service as a law enforcement official, I have remained forever mindful of the need to identify those who wish to do us harm and also protect individual civil rights and liberties. We should be judged not only by our ability to defend our nation from terrorism, but also by our commitment to defend the rights and freedoms we all enjoy.”

Mr. John S. Pistole, to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and an Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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