Members of Congress have lashed out against the U.S. Secret Service after an investigation showed that the elite agency spent an average of just 25 minutes on training for each of its officers in 2013, a situation investigators called 'unacceptable' Officers in other law enforcement agencies spent up to one-fourth of their on-the-job time in training during the same year. In previous years the Secret Service had sent special agents through as many as eight training classes. But between 2012 and 2013, it offered just one. 'We all are in agreement the levels are unacceptably low,' said Danielle Gray, one of the investigators who testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform committee. Members of the Secret Service Protective Mission Panel (L-R) Mark Filip, Danielle Gray, Thomas Perrelli and Joseph Hagin told members of Congress the elite agency is in disarray and can't train its agents appropriately . Joseph Clancy, the aegncy's acting director, is favored by the Whte House to keep his job permanently even as investigators recommend an outsider to reform the Secret Service . Panelists said the Secret Service is in need of more outside leadership, while President Barack Obama is hinting that he wants acting director Joseph P. Clancy to keep the job personally. Clancy is the ultimate insider, with a resume that includes several years at the helm of the agency's presidential protection division until his retirement in 2011. He was appointed to fill a vacancy at the top of the agency's pyramid when Julia Pierson resigned last year, following a series of embarrassing security lapses. GovExec reported that the investigation concluded with recommendations to add new personnel to correct the training deficit – 200 new uniformed officers and 85 new special agents. One panelist said those new hires might be just a 'down payment' on a larger hiring binge. but Republicans on the committee doubt more spending will right the ship. The Secret Service already employs 6,300 people and Congress has over-funded it during the last two years, providing more money than it asked for. The newly formed U.S. Secret Service Protective Mission Panel first met after a fence jumper managed to enter the White House and an armed gunman fired shots at the presidential mansion – with agents going four days before they realized a bullet had broken an upstairs window. Panelists said the Secret Service should clean house and install all new management. This week the second-in-command Alvin 'A.T.' Smith transferred to a job in the Homeland Security Investigations division. 'No organization is perfect,' said Mark Filip, one of the panelists. 'It's not a weakness to acknowledge there are problems. Accept them and move forward.' Questions of morale and overworked agents have arisen in the course of the investigation, according to those who testified on Thursday. But Democrats were angry and Republicans were unsympathetic, GovExec reported. REALLY? One Republican blasted agents for complaining about their jobs, pointing to Hollywood representations of the Secret Service like those in the new film 'Kingsman' for guidance . 'This is not just any organization,' said New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney. 'This is U.S. Secret Service. It used to be one of the most respected agencies in our government.' NO EXIT: Secret Service Deputy Director Alvin 'A.T.' Smith resigned this week, only to pop up in a mysterious appointment to a job with Homeland Security Investigations . 'I'm sure they're all nice people,' Tennessee Rep. John Duncan chimed in, 'but they have to realize they are very lucky to have their jobs.' And agents in federal law enforcement are also paid more than their counterparts in local police forces, he said, who 'are out there fighting the real crime, the daily, day-to-day crime that everyone wants fought.' 'When I hear about low morale in the Secret Service, they ought to be ashamed,' he carped. Georgia Republican Rep. Buddy Carter said it was hard to imagine a low-morale Secret Service, given the agency's pop culture image. 'Did these guys not watch the movies?' he asked. 'Those people are really excited about becoming Secret Service agents.' Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah and ranking Democrat Gerry Connolly of Virginia said they are considering a plan to pare down the agency's portfolio by taking away its mission of stopping counterfeiting, one of its earliest historical functions. A fence-jumper with a pocket knife managed to get inside the White House last year, starting a cascade of scandals that led to the resignation of the agency's first female chief, Julia Pierson .
Review board examined the agency's performance after a fence-jumper managed to get into the White House and a gunman shot out a window .
In 2012 and 2013 the Secret Service offered just one training class for special agents, down from eight previously .
Other federal law enforcement officers spend as much as one-fourth of their on-the-job time in training .
Republicans in Congress blasted the agency for claims of low morale: 'They have to realize they are very lucky to have their jobs.'
Members of Congress have lashed out against the U.S. Secret Service after an investigation showed that the elite agency spent an average of just 25 minutes on training for each of its officers in 2013, a situation investigators called 'unacceptable' Officers in other law enforcement agencies spent up to one-fourth of their on-the-job time in training during the same year. In previous years the Secret Service had sent special agents through as many as eight training classes. But between 2012 and 2013, it offered just one. 'We all are in agreement the levels are unacceptably low,' said Danielle Gray, one of the investigators who testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform committee. Members of the Secret Service Protective Mission Panel (L-R) Mark Filip, Danielle Gray, Thomas Perrelli and Joseph Hagin told members of Congress the elite agency is in disarray and can't train its agents appropriately . Joseph Clancy, the aegncy's acting director, is favored by the Whte House to keep his job permanently even as investigators recommend an outsider to reform the Secret Service . Panelists said the Secret Service is in need of more outside leadership, while President Barack Obama is hinting that he wants acting director Joseph P. Clancy to keep the job personally. Clancy is the ultimate insider, with a resume that includes several years at the helm of the agency's presidential protection division until his retirement in 2011. He was appointed to fill a vacancy at the top of the agency's pyramid when Julia Pierson resigned last year, following a series of embarrassing security lapses. GovExec reported that the investigation concluded with recommendations to add new personnel to correct the training deficit – 200 new uniformed officers and 85 new special agents. One panelist said those new hires might be just a 'down payment' on a larger hiring binge. but Republicans on the committee doubt more spending will right the ship. The Secret Service already employs 6,300 people and Congress has over-funded it during the last two years, providing more money than it asked for. The newly formed U.S. Secret Service Protective Mission Panel first met after a fence jumper managed to enter the White House and an armed gunman fired shots at the presidential mansion – with agents going four days before they realized a bullet had broken an upstairs window. Panelists said the Secret Service should clean house and install all new management. This week the second-in-command Alvin 'A.T.' Smith transferred to a job in the Homeland Security Investigations division. 'No organization is perfect,' said Mark Filip, one of the panelists. 'It's not a weakness to acknowledge there are problems. Accept them and move forward.' Questions of morale and overworked agents have arisen in the course of the investigation, according to those who testified on Thursday. But Democrats were angry and Republicans were unsympathetic, GovExec reported. REALLY? One Republican blasted agents for complaining about their jobs, pointing to Hollywood representations of the Secret Service like those in the new film 'Kingsman' for guidance . 'This is not just any organization,' said New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney. 'This is U.S. Secret Service. It used to be one of the most respected agencies in our government.' NO EXIT: Secret Service Deputy Director Alvin 'A.T.' Smith resigned this week, only to pop up in a mysterious appointment to a job with Homeland Security Investigations . 'I'm sure they're all nice people,' Tennessee Rep. John Duncan chimed in, 'but they have to realize they are very lucky to have their jobs.' And agents in federal law enforcement are also paid more than their counterparts in local police forces, he said, who 'are out there fighting the real crime, the daily, day-to-day crime that everyone wants fought.' 'When I hear about low morale in the Secret Service, they ought to be ashamed,' he carped. Georgia Republican Rep. Buddy Carter said it was hard to imagine a low-morale Secret Service, given the agency's pop culture image. 'Did these guys not watch the movies?' he asked. 'Those people are really excited about becoming Secret Service agents.' Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah and ranking Democrat Gerry Connolly of Virginia said they are considering a plan to pare down the agency's portfolio by taking away its mission of stopping counterfeiting, one of its earliest historical functions. A fence-jumper with a pocket knife managed to get inside the White House last year, starting a cascade of scandals that led to the resignation of the agency's first female chief, Julia Pierson .
agencies spent up to one-fourth of their on-the-job time in training during the same year. special agents through as many as eight training classes. But between 2012 and 2013, it offered after a fence jumper managed to enter the White upstairs window. Panelists said the Secret John Duncan chimed in, 'but they have to realize they are very lucky to have their jobs.' And agents in federal law enforcement are also paid low-morale Secret Service, given the agency's pop pocket knife managed to get inside the White