Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) on Monday called for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to halt the implementation of a new behavioral screening program that is modeled after Israel's airport security screening methods.

He is a ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

The 60-day Behavior Detection Officer pilot program began Monday at the Boston Logan International Airport. In the new "Assessor" screenings, TSA officers will ask passengers a few personal questions and look for signs that they may be hiding something. Suspicious passengers will be sent to a secondary screening or referred to a law enforcement officer.

In a letter (PDF) to TSA Administrator John Pistole, Thompson questioned why the agency had decided to implement a "scientifically unproven technique," noting there "is no scientific validation, limited or comprehensive, of the efficacy of the Assessor model of screening to detect persons who pose a security risk to aviation."

Thompson is skeptical that the results of the pilot program can determine how the agency should proceed with the "chat downs."

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