U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston, urged House Republicans this week to hold a bipartisan oversight hearing on the Transportation Security Administration's "Quiet Skies" program, in which undercover federal air marshals reportedly conduct surveillance on American air travelers.
Lynch, the top Democrat on the National Security subpanel, penned a Monday letter to Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, requesting that lawmakers examine the program's purpose, scope and legality, as well as how the TSA is safeguarding U.S. citizens' constitutional rights.
The congressman pointed to a recent Boston Globe report, which found the previously undisclosed TSA program tracks about 40 to 50 air travelers daily through targeted, undercover airport and inflight surveillance.
He argued that while he "strongly support(s) the critical mission of the Transportation Security Administration to 'protect the nation's transportation systems,' the administration of a covert surveillance program that targets nearly 200,000 air travelers, including U.S. citizens, per year without probable cause must be subject to robust congressional oversight."
"In furtherance of our national security, a meaningful examination of the purpose, scope and legality of this program will enable us to assess the effectiveness of the 'Quiet Skies' program and better ensure the protection of American civil liberties," he wrote.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, meanwhile, sent his own letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske seeking information on the "Quiet Skies" program.
Arguing that it "raises serious privacy concerns" and may be unconstitutional, Markey said lawmakers "need answers about this questionable program, including if it actually resulted in arrests or prevented terrible events."
"Although national security and airline passenger safety are of paramount importance, the American people deserve to know whether Quiet Skies violates their rights and if it is an effective use of federal resources," he wrote.
The Globe, which revealed the program's existence on Sunday, reported that the TSA began actively conducting surveillance in March of individuals who were not suspected of any crimes or on terrorist watch lists.
Air marshals reportedly collected information on thousands of travelers' behavior under "Quiet Skies," including a Southwest Airlines flight attendant and a federal law enforcement officer, according to the newspaper.
A TSA spokesman offered that the agency had detailed the program to committees in May. It further compared the program to "putting a police officers on a beat where intelligence and other information presents the need for watch and deterrence," The Globe reported.
"The program analyzes information on a passenger's travel patterns, and through a system of checks and balances, to include robust oversight, effectively adds an additional line of defense to aviation security," TSA spokesman James Gregory told the newspaper.
The TSA reportedly plans to meet with the House Oversight Committee, among others.