[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 144 (Thursday, October 25, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H7313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1030
                 NATION NEEDS AN AIRLINE SECURITY BILL

  (Mr. STRICKLAND asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STRICKLAND. Mr. Speaker, this Nation is on a wartime footing and 
this House should be on a wartime schedule. We left this city last 
Wednesday. We came back and went into session at 6 o'clock on Tuesday. 
Yesterday morning, we went into session at 10 o'clock a.m. and finished 
our work by 5 p.m. We are leaving today by 2 o'clock. We have yet to 
pass an airline security bill.
  The American people who get on airplanes today and tomorrow and next 
week will do so knowing that at least 95 percent of the luggage that is 
placed in the belly of that airplane will not be screened for 
explosives. How can we tell the American people to go back to life as 
normal? How can we encourage people to get on our airplanes and fly as 
long as this House is negligent and refuses to bring an airline 
security bill to this floor for honest, open debate and a vote? All we 
are asking for is the right to have a vote on this airline security 
bill.

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