Secret Service Director Julia Pierson was called to the Capitol on Tuesday to account for the latest embarrassing incident caused by the misconduct of agents abroad.
The incident in question occurred in the Netherlands where three advance security detail agents for the President were sent home after a night of drinking. One of the agents was found passed out in the hallway of their hotel.
"These are isolated incidents of misconduct and we're working every day to correct our behavior," Pierson said after her meeting with senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, CNN reported.
"We're human and we make mistakes," Pierson said.
Another incident occurred in Florida where a Secret Service agent, also suspected of alcohol use, was mixed up in a traffic accident, CNN reported.
Pierson said the misconduct is not indicative on how the Secret Service conducts itself in general. Committee Chairman Tom Carper, from Delaware, said he and the director talked about possible amendments to Secret Service policy, including hiring and firing practices, to avoid future problems.
"All of us are human, all of us have temptation and some of these jobs, they travel a lot, they're away from home a lot. They have their own foibles." Carper said, CNN reported "This director is very committed to making sure there's a set of discipline policy standards to follow."
Pierson, the first female Secret Service director, said she has implemented several changes, including hiring a chief integrity officer, and integrity training for agents, CNN reported.
"I have made it clear to the entire workforce that I will not tolerate unprofessional behavior or misconduct at any level- both on and off duty," Pierson told the committee, CNN reported. "I remain committed to swiftly and vigorously addressing any instances of misconduct that are brought to my attention."
President Barack Obama appointed Pierson to head the Secret Service after the former director, Mark Sullivan, retired in early 2013. His retirement came in the midst of a prostitution scandal involving thirteen agents and officers in Columbia.
