Washington, DC – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued a report on the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program and found that the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) background checking process is “not designed to provide reasonable assurance that only qualified individuals can acquire TWICs.” GAO investigators conducted covert tests at ports and TWIC enrollment centers and were successful in accessing ports using counterfeit TWICs, authentic TWICs acquired through fraudulent means, and false business cases.
The following is the statement of Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“While GAO found that the TWIC program generally has worked well, GAO also identified serious vulnerabilities that may threaten port operations and the flow of maritime commerce. It is particularly disturbing that GAO investigators were able to access several ports using counterfeit TWICs and authentic credentials acquired through fraudulent means. TSA and the Coast Guard must act immediately to improve the system for detecting fraud.”
A summary of the report can be found here.