Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing to investigate the use of the Transportation Security Administration’s Quiet Skies Program under the Biden administration. During the hearing, Chairman Paul entered newly obtained documents into the record, which he said show that the program and related watch lists were used as political surveillance tools.
The investigation, launched by Chairman Paul in 2024, resulted in a report released prior to the hearing. The findings indicate that veterans, sitting lawmakers, political opponents, and even family members of federal officials were monitored through these programs.
Testimony was heard from several individuals including Mark Crowder, a Senior Federal Air Marshal whose wife was mistakenly placed on a watch list; Tristan Leavitt, President of Empower Oversight; Matt Taibbi, Editor of Racket News; Jim Harper from the American Enterprise Institute; and Abed Ayoub from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Chairman Paul stated: “I commend Secretary Noem for ending Quiet Skies, but our work is not done. We must make sure that this program does not come back under another name. Every official who directed or approved surveillance of Americans for protected speech must be removed from office. Full transparency must become the rule rather than requiring a year of investigation. The result will be a process that respects the Constitution, ends real life shadow bans against Americans and gives all of us the assurance that our government is focused on protecting us, not on chasing political ghosts.”
DNI Gabbard added: “The Quiet Skies Program has been used for nearly two decades to target and surveil everyday Americans, violating our constitutional rights and civil liberties, targeting political opponents, and costing taxpayers approximately $200 million per year, all while failing to stop a single terrorist. ODNI has worked closely with DHS and Sen. Paul to expose the truth behind this program, putting an end to weaponization against Americans.”
Secretary Kristi Noem called for further Congressional inquiry: “It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration—weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends. I am calling for a Congressional investigation to unearth further corruption at the expense of the American people and the undermining of US national security. TSA’s critical aviation and security vetting functions will be maintained, and the Trump Administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans.”
The full opening statement from Chairman Paul is available online.
