Hawley expects TWIC to miss July deadline

Last week was not a good one for those responsible for the Transportation Workers Identification Credential, that oft-maligned effort to impose standardized biometric identification cards on the country’s port and maritime laborers. According to recent testimony by the Government Accountability Office’s Norman Rabkin, the Lockheed Martin-managed program is suffering from a lack of government oversight and poor coordination with the maritime industry, with the GAO expressing concern about educating workers, maintaining enrollment timetables, and performing the required background checks. In one worrisome, sign ongoing problems with reading the biometric cards in harsh maritime environments appear to be unresolved. “We’re still not confident when it will start, let alone finish,” said Rabkin. “There’s a lot to be done yet.”

As a result of these problems, TSA chief Kip Hawley told congress last week that he could no longer commit to the July roll-out deadline. “We respect the deadline and April is too soon to give up on a July deadline,” he said, noting also, according to Congress Daily, that “if the choice is between meeting the deadline or ensuring the program works properly, the administration will choose the latter.” This did not sit well with congressmen, who accused the administration of bungling the program, which has already cost $94 million — or $60,000 per every card so-far deployed. “It’s not the level of security that we need in our country.” Said Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), “Congressional tolerance … is waning.”