Washington ( CNN ) -- Hoping to quell growing concerns in Congress about enhanced security procedures for airline passengers , top administration officials who oversee airport security went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to explain the new methods and why they are needed . The closed , nearly two-hour briefing for congressional staff members included a detailed explanation of new advanced imaging technology that has sparked outrage from some passengers because it captures an image of their bodies through their clothing . Also , Transportation Security Administration officials demonstrated the invasive pat downs required for passengers who either refuse a full body scan or who need a follow-up inspection after an image is taken . `` I feel bad for the girl they put in front of 50 people when they were doing a pat down , '' said one Republican senate staff member about the female TSA employee who was part of the demonstration , reflecting the concerns of many passengers about being touched in their private areas by security agents . However , a Democratic staffer who was there said it was all very professional . `` I do n't think there was an emotional reaction one way or another , '' the aide said . `` They explained -- based on what we know and what the threat is -- we think this is the best way to mitigate the risks . '' Another aide , who refused to say if he was a Democrat or a Republican , said the briefing would help lawmakers `` understand the difference between a standard pat down and a more rigorous one . '' A Department of Homeland Security undersecretary and two TSA assistant administrators conducted the briefing , the second of two such meetings on Capitol Hill this week . The security agency set up the briefings after being `` deluged '' by calls for more information from congressional offices , which were themselves getting questions from angry and confused constituents , according to an administration official who asked not to be identified because he was n't authorized to speak about the closed briefing . `` Folks are getting a lot of concern from the constituents and they just want to be able to answer phone calls that they get at their offices , '' said the official , who described the session as `` a very grown-up exchange of questions and answers . '' One Democratic aide said the TSA 's effort to boost security has become a public relations problem because images of the tough new procedures are disturbing to many people . `` It 's always tough for the government to get their side of the story out compared to how quickly someone with YouTube video , Facebook , Twitter , all those things , can . For all the things they are trying to do to get the word out , one single isolated incident gets a lot more press than all the efforts they 're trying to do , '' the aide said . Two GOP aides who spoke to CNN complained that despite the briefing being labeled by Transportation Security Administration as `` SSI '' -- containing `` security sensitive information '' -- staffers were not required to show identification when they arrived . They simply signed an attendance sheet that was passed around . `` They have no clue who was in there , '' one of the Republican aides said .
Session provides information for members of Congress to tell concerned constituents . The TSA is holding two such briefings to explain the new procedures . Passenger complaints raise questions that the enhanced pat down goes too far .