U.S. SENATE News:WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led a group of Democratic Senators in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warning against cuts to a critical mass transit security program that safeguards Americans while traveling, especially in non-secure “soft” target areas at airports like check-in and baggage claim areas, and other transportation facilities like train stations and bus depots.
In the letter, the Senators raise serious concerns over DHS’s Fiscal Year 2019 Budget proposal to eliminate Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams. VIPR teams serve as a critical element of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) layered approach to securing our nation’s transportation systems.
“Three months ago, we were reminded of the continued threats to our nation’s transportation systems when a terrorist attempted to detonate a bomb in the New York City subway. Given the persistent threats our transportation systems face, this is not the time to eliminate a program that augments the capacity of State and local law enforcement officials to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism and that TSA continues to hold out as one of the critical layers of aviation security,” wrote the Senators.
Following the 2016 terrorist attacks at airports and subways in Brussels and Turkey, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Aviation Security Act of 2016 which included a measure led by Senator Heinrich to increase the authorized number of VIPR teams from 30 to 60. The VIPR provisions in the Aviation Security Act of 2016 built upon the statutory foundation for VIPR teams established in the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 which originally authorized the program.
The Senators asked Secretary Nielsen to clarify the decision to eliminate funding for VIPR and what capability DHS intends to deploy in place of VIPR to enhance State and local law enforcement efforts to secure surface and aviation transportation hubs.
Along with Senators Heinrich and Klobuchar, the letter was also signed by, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).
A copy of the letter is available here.