Sen. Rand Paul questions TSA for using terror watchlist to surveil Americans

08/27/2024 / By Belle Carter

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, questioned the recent screening procedures of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as it appears to be using terrorist watchlists as a way of surveilling Americans based on their political opinions.

In a letter addressed to TSA Administrator David Pekoske, Paul requested information in connection to whistleblowers’ recent revelations, which raised concerns that the TSA’s “Quiet Skies” program may have been improperly employed to target individuals based on their views and participation in constitutionally protected activities, rather than for legitimate security threats.

“Among the troubling allegations is the claim that former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was subjected to heightened surveillance after she was added to the Quiet Skies list following her public criticism of the current administration,” he said in the letter.

Gabbard was seemingly added to the watchlist after a Fox News interview during which she criticized the “Deep State.” Now, she is suing the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the matter.

Another case cited in the letter was that of the wife of a Federal Air Marshal Service officer being labeled a “domestic terrorist” and subjected to special mission coverage after attending a political rally in Washington, D.C. As per the source, TSA inaccurately recorded his wife, who has a documented mobility disability, as having unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Worse, with her physical limitations and with no criminal charges against her, TSA still kept her on a watchlist for more than three years, even assigning a federal air marshal to monitor her on a flight, even though she was traveling with her husband, who is also a federal air marshal.

“Taken together, these incidents seem to be part of a broader pattern in which TSA has repurposed Quiet Skies to surveil individuals based on their political activities, even when there is no evidence of wrongdoing,” Paul said.

The senator has requested unredacted copies of all documents, guidelines, data and internal communications related to managing watchlists and screening procedures in the program.

Meanwhile, the Air Marshal National Council (AMNC) and the nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization Empower Oversight supported Paul’s inquiry.

“AMNC strongly supports Ranking Member Rand Paul’s aggressive oversight and letter demanding answers from TSA Administrator Pekoske,” said Sonya LaBosco, AMNC executive director. “The Quiet Skies surveillance program must end. Quiet Skies is ineffective, wasteful and does nothing to make us safer.”

“Whistleblowers are key to spotting and reporting abuses in government and the Quiet Skies surveillance of Tulsi Gabbard and others appear to be a gross waste of funds and abuse of authority. It’s time for Congress and the Inspector General to get to the bottom of whether political retaliation played any role in adding Gabbard to the Quiet Skies list and ensure these abuses don’t happen again,” Empower Oversight President Tristan Leavitt said. (Related: 95% of bombs, guns and knives get past airport security while TSA agents grope Americans.)

TSA readies surveillance system for the record-breaking 17 million Labor Day travelers

Analysts are warning holidaymakers as Labor Day approaches, marking the unofficial end of summer, that they will be spied and surveilled by the TSA.

Airports, highways, beaches and popular tourist destinations are expected to be packed as Americans hit the road and take to the skies in droves.

Being the busiest travel period in the United States, rivaling other major holidays like Thanksgiving Day and Christmas travel, TSA anticipates screening more than 17 million passengers. The agency’s busiest day is expected to be Friday, with 2.86 million travelers passing through security.

“People are traveling more than ever this summer and TSA along with our airline and airport partners stand ready to close the busiest summer travel period on record during this upcoming Labor Day weekend,” said Pekoske. “I commend our vigilant workforce, from our TSOs on the front lines at airport security checkpoints across the country to those behind the scenes, working hard to keep the transportation system secure, especially as we continue to roll out new checkpoint technology that improves security effectiveness, efficiency, and the passenger experience.”

The system TSA has in place, critics argue, has more “spying power.” The agency is staffed to meet its 10-minute wait time standards and under in TSA PreCheck lanes and 30 minutes and under in standard screening lanes.

TSA recommends airline passengers travel with ease by enrolling in the TSA “PreCheck Trusted Traveler Program,” where members do not need to remove shoes, belts, 3-1-1 liquids, laptops, food items and light jackets at the checkpoint.

Meanwhile, airlines are increasing their flight schedules to accommodate the surge and AAA Travel reports that domestic travel bookings are up nine percent compared to last year.

American Airlines, for example, is planning its largest Labor Day weekend operation ever, with a 14 percent increase in passengers compared to last year. The carrier has scheduled 6,400 flights on Thursday and Friday, followed by 6,300 flights on Labor Day. These numbers underscore the importance of planning and preparing for potential delays and disruptions.

Surveillance.news has more stories like this.

Watch the video below that talks about TSA and DOJ’s response to why Americans were added to the terror watchlist.

This video is from MyPodcastDropped2320 channel on Brighteon.com.

Sen. Rand Paul questions TSA for using terror watchlist to surveil Americans

TSA readies surveillance system for the record-breaking 17 million Labor Day travelers

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