TSA security chief replaced after criticism: officials

The head of security for the US Transportation Security Administration has been replaced amid questions about why he was paid $90,000 in bonuses when airport security lines were growing, a congressional committee said on Monday. "Kelly Hoggan has been removed from his position as head of security at TSA, following our hearing on May 12 on mismanagement at TSA," the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced on its official Twitter account. "Despite significant security vulnerabilities, TSA's head of security took home $90,000 in bonuses over 13 months," the committee -- the House's main investigative body -- tweeted earlier this month, when it held a hearing on TSA's operations. Hoggan's removal from the key intelligence division at the TSA, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, comes as wait times for security checks at US airports are prompting a public outcry. "Obviously, waiting 3 hours for what may be a 2-hour flight or a 90-minute flight is not acceptable," Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson said on May 13 after the hearing. He had promised to reduce skyrocketing wait times with what he called an "aggressive plan" despite fewer agents at the TSA and growing numbers of travelers. His plan includes hiring more TSA agents, increasing the use of overtime, adding canine teams and promoting the TSA's pre-flight screening program. In July 2015, newly appointed TSA director Peter Neffenger promised airport security would be overhauled, saying he was "greatly disturbed" by the performance of its agents after an inspection reported that the TSA's passenger screening had a failure rate of 96 percent.