Rep. Paul: Abolish TSA

The Transportation Security Administration should be abolished, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) said over the weekend. 

Speaking on his weekly “Texas Straight Talk” audio address, Paul said that recent reports alleging a 95-year-old woman was forced to remove her adult diaper and an eight-month-old baby’s diaper was inspected showed the TSA was overzealous. 

{mosads}”The press reports are horrifying,” Paul said. “Ninety-five-year-old women humiliated, children molested, disabled people abused. Men and women subjected to unwarranted groping and touching of their most private areas, and involuntary radiation exposure.

“If the perpetrators were a gang of criminals, their headquarters would be raided by SWAT teams and armed federal agents,” he continued. “Unfortunately in this case, the perpetrators are armed federal agents.” 

Paul said he was introducing a bill called the “American Traveler Dignity Act,” which he said would force TSA employees to follow existing laws against inappropriate physical contact.

“It means they are not above laws the rest of us must obey,” he said. 

Paul’s comments echoed criticisms raised by his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R), who took the TSA to task in a recent committee meeting. 

The younger Paul said reports that TSA had given children pat-downs made him feel less safe. 

“It makes me think you’re clueless, if you think she’s going to attack our country … you’re not doing your research on the people who want to attack our country,” he said.  

TSA has denied the elderly woman was required to remove her diaper, and said the child pat-down followed existing protocol at the time. Since the hearing, however, the agency has said it would not automatically require pat-downs for children under the age of 12.