Obama picks Coast Guard official to head TSA

New administrator of the Transportation Security Administration Peter Neffenger is second in command at the U.S. Coast Guard.    President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated U.S. Coast Guard Vice Commandant Peter Neffenger to be administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
   The Coast Guard and TSA are both component agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.
   The TSA has been without a permanent, politically appointed leader since Dec. 31, when John Pistole left to work in the private sector.
   Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said Neffenger’s nomination will receive prompt consideration.
   Neffenger, a 30-year Coast Guard veteran, was the deputy national incident commander for the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, as well as the sector command and federal maritime security coordinator for the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. 
   There is precedent for such a leadership change. The first administrator of the TSA, James Loy, was previously commandant of the Coast Guard.
   “I have no doubt that his skills, intellect and energy that have up to now been devoted to maritime security will be easily translatable to aviation security,” DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement.
   Last month, the Airforwarders Association called on the Obama administration to fill the TSA vacancy so that several pending policy initiatives, such as changes to the indirect air carrier cargo security program and the Air Cargo Advanced Screening program, can be finalized.