actions accepted as comply yent by some field officers are labeled as violations that produce official violations by others. this is troubling to csx as we strive to ensure a network that spans 25,000 miles at track in 23 states and encompasses over 23,000 local jurisdictions. this indicates that it's not just a program for minor paperwork issues that elevate administrative errors to official letters of investigation that threaten a $10,000 fine. for example, the chain of custody requirements for railcars carrying toxic chemicals. csx has received warnings for noncompliance because the names of the employees were not spelled the same on the forms that we used. times were off by several minutes and the names of the

commodities were inserted in the wrong location on the form. administrative inconsistencies, due to the verbal exchange of the names provided by the law, in fact, csx has been praised for providing flawless handoff of these chemicals only to receive violations for minor administrator errors. we believe that the lack of consistency and priorities and activities related to the construct. they do not report to the branch. to a tsa headquarter official responsible for transportation and mr. chairman, as you indicated, surface inspectors report to federal security whose primary focus is on aviation security. on the topic of information sharing and technology, we asked tsa to improve the quality and

timeliness of actionabl efforts of railroad security officials and focusing on truly significant threats and concerns. finally, current tsa security regulations are cumbersome and and more robust and enhancements for freight rail transportation. u.s. freight rail industry is experiencing safety and security and tsa needs to follow suit. in conclusion, we recognize the complexity of challenges faced both by the government and u.s. rail industry ensuring the safe and secure movement of people and products in a post 9/11 world. we look forward to working with this committee and tsa and to provide comments on this important topic. thank you. thank you, mr. elliott, for your testimony.

our third witness serves as president of bulldog highway. i like that name. highway express. testifying on behalf of the american trucking association. he previously served as chairman of the trucking association in addition to being chairman of the maritime association and carrier association. further, as president and ceo, mr. bird is also a member of the board of directors, and i recognize mr. bird for five minutes. >> thank you, chairman. chairman rogers and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on tsa's surface transportation and inspection program. my name is phil bird and i have a company based in charleston, south carolina. today i'm also testifying on behalf of the american trucking association where i presently serve as vice chairman. first i want to thank this subcommittee for addressing the continued multipolice tea of background checks for drivers.

my hope is that congress will soon pass this bill to bring some commonsense to our process. again, i thank you for your support and leadership on this issue. ata and its members participate in many industry and government efforts to enhance security in the highway sector. for example, we meet on a quarterly basis together with industry stake holders. tsa, officials, and other counterparts to share ideas to improve the security of our highways. such initiatives are essential to further enhancing cooperation and coordination between industry and government agencies. ata has followed with some interest tsa's efforts in transportation. these efforts have focused on the preparedness and response program also known as vipir

teams. ata became aware of the vipir team exercise in georgia and in tennessee, mostly through the media. it's important to note that ata supported such operations as long as it is based on intelligence or specific risks that require increased vigilance and security on our highways. at a recent meeting, tsa officials informed the industry that the presence of vipir teams at highway facilities, such as weigh stations, was not due to any specific threat or intelligence. rather, tsa stated that the vipir teams were invited by state law enforcement agencies to augment their security capabilities. ata was informed that during the highway operations, vipir teams distributed information to commercial drivers about reporting suspicious activities that might witness that -- that they might witness while on duty. deploying vipir resources for such a purpose seems contrary to the assistant secretary objectives of employing

risk-based intelligence to prevent terrorists attacks and reduce vulnerabilities. ata agrees with the approach for deploying agency resources. though the vipir operation the same cannot be said as a result of these activities. this committee should request reports describing results of the highway operations as well as other similar initiatives. the report should detail the specific objectives of said operations and results only when such information is provided will representatives be able to assess the cost and benefits of undertaking such operations. again, i thank you for the opportunity to testify before the committee. and i am pleased to answer any questions. >> thank you, mr. byrd, for your testimony. mr. blank kenship has been with greyhound lines since 1996. he overseas the operations of

greyhound lines as well as monitor safety and security. prior to becoming coo, he served as division and director. chair recognize mr. blankenship for five minutes. >> thank you. i'm honored to be here today to discuss inner city bus security and surface inspection program. in october 2 oh 001, less than 30 days after 9/11, a terror attack took over the bus and crashed it, killing seven passengers, including the terrorists, and injuring 30. not knowing if this was the first of a coordinated series of attacks, greyhound ceo notified the shutdown of service. after 12 hours the fbi discovered that this was the work of a lonewolf and greyhound services resumed.

serving every city within the united states and operating over every sin ter state highway across most the major bridges with multiple daily trips. since 2001 we have installed driver shields and on board communications and threat response systems on all buses, installed the upgraded facility security systems, instituted random screening of passengers at major terminals and conducted security training for all operational and maintenance personnel. gray mound has also participated in two programs that involve tsa and the intervention and support program called vipir. they are not at the core of the gray sound security efforts inspectors do an on-site analysis and recommendations are made for security improvements.

some of these recommendations are helpful but not realistic in the context of a bus terminal. so far there have been eight who have participated in this analysis. greyhound does not usually receive any feedback after these visits. the visits are useful as a visible deterrent when they occur. greyhound's own security efforts are more important than addressing our security. one area of concern that we have is an approach to surface security that tsa has taken in the past. and funding canine explosive detections and tried to get tsa to authorize the use of these dogs at nearby greyhound

terminals. we could not break through the laws at tsa to make that happen. we've recently met with the new director and we're encouraged that he will move to integrate inner city buses into tsa security program in a way that will enhance overall surface transportation and security. the single most important tsa activity with regard to inner city bus security is the administration of the grant program which is averaged around $10 million per year through fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012 congress included the inner city bus grant program as one of the eligible transportation programs but dhs chose not to make funding for it. we believe that the inner city bus projects should remain through a combined surface transportation fund or otherwise. the fact that is that inner city

buses carry roughly 720 million passengers annually which is comparable to those numbers and the worldwide track record of terrorist bus attacks, it's difficult to conclude that aviation security and nothing for inner city bus security is well balanced and in our view, priority projects such as maintenance of passenger screening programs continue to be supported. thank you for the opportunity to testify. >> thank you, mr. blankenship. our final and anticipated witness, mr. morris serves as director of safety and security operations and operated independent drivers association and serves as department of homeland highway carrier council, hgmc. he was previously commander of the transportation security sector and maryland state police, has over 28 years in

safety. i recognize mr. morris for his opening statement. >> thank you, chairman rogers. good afternoon. i'm currently the director of security operations for the owner-operator. i have over 28 years of experience in transportation safety and security, including commanding positions within the maryland state police. approximately 150,000 members are small truckers from all 50 states. the majority of trucking in this state is small business. 93% of our nation's carriers are 20 or fewer trucks, more than 69% is moved by truck and bulk of shipments completed by those small business truckers. involving the men and women who make their livelihood makes sense for our national security efforts. these men and women travel through all areas of our infrastructure and they added a tremendous value to securing our nation the first observer

program is dhs' tool for providing that training. and and from well trained and concerned professionals who have the capacity oh to observe, assess, and prevent potential security breaches. and a particular vantage point to best prevent suspicious activity that may have been prevented in the past. 12 training modules, covering from truck and motor coach to port and highway workers. one example of how it was specialized wassed lead up to the 2012 super bowl. they trained over 1,000 event staff in homeland security awareness. first observer is the only program that is capable of meeting these specialized training needs while engaging the long haul truck drivers on

the road every day. it's truly and destruction of a bomb plot targeting george w. bush and foiled plots against west coast power plants. each success validate the mission. transportation professionals are more receptive to training from individuals who have distinct knowledge and firsthand and geared specifically towards them and felt part of the mission. this program takes homeland security seriously and in return first observe members are taking it seriously and helping to make the program a success and associations and organizations and despite the successes the program faces challenges.

first observer has been operating under no cost extensions since january 1, 2012. broader challenges unbalanced funding and resource priorities within tsa threaten this program's ability to continue its mission allowing the program to falter would send a clear message that tsa places greater value on other modes of transport. it's known that the lion's share of funding is allocated towards the aviation sector. less be that 2% is dedicated to this arena. not taking into regard the economic importance of surface trade and infrastructure. congress will address this imbalance. first observer participants are permitted to play a role in the shoring of our country but need commitment from congress and the department. and in the areas of expertise it helps achieve the overall message at a cost below the

priorities. of these we have several truck drivers in the district alone as well as over 2,000 in the ranking disstrict. this program has proven its value and is an activity that should be prioritized moving forward. thank you for your time and i'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. >> i recognize myself for the first set of questions. chief o'connor, what did you mean when you said tsa should have more operational focus? what does that term mean to you? >> as i said in my testimony, amtrack's approach is prevention, partnership, and

participation. i think that's where the tsa inspectors should be focusing their efforts. they should be helping agencies in direct prevention efforts, you know, like supporting the vipirs. they should help partnering with the communities and not going out enforcing regulations. >> have you noticed the tsa assets in your stations? >> we get a lot of support, you know, on the normal vipirs in terms of the inspectors, we're getting sporadic reports across the country on showing up and efforts that i'm sure are well intentioned and i'm not sure add

to the value of security. they did assist us with our base program but, again, once the program is in place, where do we go from there. >> as you know, i'm a big supporter of that. mr. elliott, i'm aware that alabama participates in the security program. can you elaborate more on that, mr. chairman? >> yes. and first of all i'd like to thank the state for participation in what we think is a very worthwhile program. at csx we believe that transparency is very important in building solid programs. it's a technology-based program that allows bon infusion

programs and partnerships at several agencies and actually allow these agencies to see in a realtime format every train that's operating on csx transportation and to identify every commodity being transported within those trains. we think that's very important because often times states and federal agencies depend upon csx to translate information and you lose valuable time. the secure now program allows the state and federal homeland security centers to have this real-time access to all csx trains and commodities so if they get indication of a credible and confirmed threat they can see the rail commodities moving through their states on csx and take the appropriate action by contacting csx and move trains through at a faster pace. >> do we have this -- can you put this up on the screen, this

chart? >> visually, i hope that you can get a grip, the gist of this. in but in 2008, we had just under 200 of these inspectors. in a five-year period, it's doubled to where we have 404 of these inspectors and my question is, do you think we've seen a commensurate enhancement of security or not? and i open that up to anybody. start with you, mr. elliot. >> i think it's fair to say that much like my colleagues on the witness stand today, we appreciate a lot of the very good work the tsa does, however, it's been our experience that with the increase of surface transportation inspectors who we see with increased frequency in our rail yards that really all we're seeing is not just one inspector who would come to kind of review the transfer of

custody regulation, but we're seeing multiple inspectors basically showing up to look at the same regulation. i'm not sure we've seen any commensurate enhancements. >> yes or no. do you think it's been worth doubling the workforce? from the security standpoint? >> i am not -- >> mr. berg, yes or no. got 24 seconds. >> no. >> chief o'connor. >> no, i rather have seen an increase in canines. an inkrecrease in public and employee training. >> mr. blanken ship? >> only in the baseline of inspections. >> great. we have been joined by my friend and colleague from texas, who is come from the intelligence committee where i'm sure she has made the world safer and i recognize her for any opening

statements. >> thank you very much. chairman has been gracious. thank you, members, mr. richmond and mr. davis. mr. turner, mr. kravic, for your courtesies. we are also in an immigration subcommittee, so i thank you very much. this is a subject close to my heart and i thank all of you for your participation in this valuable hearing that will provide and that is in providing insights and critical transportation issues. as a ranking member of the committee, i've continuously supported adequate resources aimed at enhancing the security of our rail and mass transit systems. there is no doubt and i know you gentlemen on the front line, that when we think of a target, the target that has been most attractive to whatever franchise terrorist group you can speak of, it is a transportation mode. and we will fool ourselves if we don't recognize that the surface

transportation so clearly in the eye of the storm. this morning's news reported that buses transport more people or at least the same amount of people as the aviation industry. how many americans would know that? which is why i offered by the full committee, cently considered, my amendment woulz authorize $400 million for 2012 and 2013. i am pleased that members on both sides recognized the need to authorize these funds. in the near future -- appropriate bill and i will expect my colleagues to continue their strong amendment when the measure is on the floor of the house. if you're happily going off to

the casinos in louisiana and parts of texas or if you're having to get to grandma's house, you're using a mode of transportation that could in essence be a target. i cannot overstate the importance of funding for grants that allow state and local jurs dictions to secure our nation's infrastructure. since 2004, over 1,000 terrorists attacks were waved worldwide against mass transit and passenger rail targets resulting in over 2,000 deaths and over 9,000 injuries. in fact, we were one of the first delegations to visit mumbai after a series of attacks there and to visit a station where these heinous attacks occurred. we have been fortunate that we have not put on that list one of our sites, even though of course there is a plot to attack the new york city subway system in 2009 and everybody remembers the times scare alleged bomber that was trying to disrupt times

square. if you will, center point, for rail, subway lines, crossing in that area. given the people who use our buses and subways, the need for funding should be a high priority for this congress. since the demise of osama bin laden, we must be diligent. last year, i introduced the transit security act of 2011. if enacted, this would provide that tsa provides the resources necessary to effectively operate. the bill advices that the hiring of additional inspectors to validate programs to impact our surface and mass transit. let me indicate how much i think this hearing is crucial and i will cautious we must not throw the baby out with the bath water. it is important that we work with tsa to make changes.

it is important tsa hires additional inspectors. being the first step. however, the agency must ensure that regulations impacting training of front line workers are issued and shared for public comment. without this overreaching framework single acts or individual programs that likely have little impact. this must include the kind of mechanism such as protocall, outreach for business, revisions to the -- the important of increased resources for canine teams. i'm looking forward for these efforts to go forward in a fast way. i also look for it in the testimony of the first observer program and i believe that this hearing is determined answers a number of questions that the congress does maintain its responsib responsib

responsibleties of oversight because it is important to secure the home land in all aspects. >> would the ranking member like to go ahead? >> i would like to do so and try to abbreviate. thank you very much. first of all, i have -- i have taken it to heart visiting various sights and watching the work that is done. let me give you just this one question. unlike airports, where security is federalized, the local transit law enforcement agencies bear the brunt of effective security programs for surface transportation systems. as we discuss moving forward with tsa's program, i would like to know what your major resource and operational challenge rs and how tsa can use inspectors with

proper expertise to help you meet those challenges. i'd like to start with chief o conn connor. >> thank you. >> might you just put on the record if i missed it, what you think you'r traveling census is up and down that east coast corridor. chief. >> thank you. and appreciate those comments and my task is made easier by working with some of your colleagues in texas with chief rodriguez and chief lambert. i visited houston just last month to consult with them. in terms of the usefulness of the inspectors, i testified earlier that our efforts are geared towards prevention, partnership and participation. i think that's where the tsa needs to go. focus less on repeating vel

nerability assessments and regulations which do not add to security, but develop a partnership with the agencies that help in their prevention efforts. help in partnering with local communities and e helping in training employees and doing public outreach. i think the whole program needs to be looked at to see if that's where their efforts are going. >> i'm going to yield back and come get these questions answered at next dpo around. thanks, mr. chairman. >> chair recognizes mr. turner for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> i'm interested, mr. elliot, in the inspectors. there are now 400? did i hear