[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 30, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1947-E1948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  A FEDERAL ROLE IN AVIATION SECURITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 30, 2001

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government must take over our 
Nation's aviation security system. I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor of H.R. 3110, the ``Transportation Security Enhancement Act 
of 2001'' which will make security screeners Federal employees.
  I believe security screening must become a Federal function because, 
until now, the airlines have contracted out to private security 
companies for the lowest bidder. As a result of this arrangement, the 
men and women who screen passengers as they walk through metal 
detectors at our Nation's airports are paid low wages--just above the 
minimum wage--have no benefits, and have a turnover rate as high as 400 
percent. They leave their jobs before they have a chance to master 
them. This means that people who screen passengers as they walk through 
the metal detectors have very little experience looking for potentially 
lethal weapons before passengers take their carry-on luggage aboard a 
plane.
  I attach for the Record an op-ed entitled ``Airport security 
shouldn't be hit-or-miss'' by James E. Casto, Associate Editor of the 
Herald Dispatch of Huntington, WV. Mr. Casto writes a rather 
entertaining piece about being stopped at the airport in San Diego, CA, 
in June 1998, when a security screener spotted ``something'' in his 
bag. The ``something'' turned out to be a letter opener in his toiletry 
kit. He used it as a makeshift screwdriver to replace a screw he lost 
from his eyeglasses.

[[Page E1948]]

  But woven into that entertaining piece, Mr. Casto noted that:

       As September 11th made tragically clear, until now airline 
     and airport security has been pretty much a hit-or-miss 
     proposition.

  While the screener at the San Diego airport was really on her toes, 
others are not. Mr. Casto noted that during a long layover in Chicago, 
there was a

     gaggle of screeners who were laughing and apparently having a 
     great time. I doubt they would have noticed if I'd had an A-K 
     47 under my arm.

  Mr. Casto's message is clear, concise, complete and correct. The 
aviation security workforce must have consistent work standards, 
because they answer to a vast number of companies with inconsistent 
work standards. I believe federalizing the force is the surest way to 
achieve this goal.
  When the Federal Government takes over training, supervision, and 
employment of security screeners, as the ``Transportation Security 
Enhancement Act of 2001'' provides, they will be subject to the highest 
performance standards. In addition, they will be paid decent wages and 
benefits, which will encourage them to stay on the job and master their 
jobs.
  Our Nation's passengers will then be reassured that the most thorough 
screening of all passengers has taken place before they board their 
flights. This system is the best step we can take to prevent the 
heinous crime of September 11, 2001, from ever happening again.

               Airport Security Shouldn't Be Hit-or-Miss

       I remember the incident in every detail--although I had to 
     check back a bit to find exactly when it happened. It was 
     June of 1998, and I was at the airport in San Diego, Calif., 
     heading home.
       I got in line at security. When my turn came, I placed my 
     bag on the conveyor, stepped through the metal detector and 
     reached to retrieve my bag, only to find that one of the 
     security screeners had a firm grasp on it.
       ``There's something in here,'' she said, fixing me with the 
     same kind of cold-eyed stare she no doubt would have given 
     bank robber John Dillenger had he turned up in her line.
       I resisted an impulse to tell her that the only contraband 
     in my bag was some dirty socks.
       ``May I take a look?'' she asked, delving into my bag 
     before I had a chance to even answer.
       ``I don't see it,'' she said, as she pawed through my 
     stuff.
       ``See What?'' I asked.
       ``The machine showed a letter opener in here.''
       A letter opener? What the dickens would I be doing with a 
     letter opener? Slowly, a faint memory dawned.
       Unzipping my toilet kit, she reached in, fumbled around a 
     bit and triumphantly pulled out a metal letter opener.
       She summoned her supervisor, who looked even less amused 
     than she did.
       ``Listen,'' I said, ``if this is a problem, I'll simply 
     leave the opener here. I don't need it. All I want to do is 
     catch my plane.''
       I started to walk away.
       ``Wait,'' the supervisor said, ``you have to fill out a 
     form.''
       So I had to complete and sign an ``Abandoned Property'' 
     form, giving my name and flight number, before I hurried on 
     my way.
       How in the world had a letter opener found its way into my 
     toilet kit? Actually, the explanation was simple: One day, I 
     lost a screw out of my eyeglasses. I used the letter opener 
     as a makeshift screwdriver to replace it. And, since I was on 
     my way to the airport at the time, I threw the screwdriver in 
     my toilet kit in case I needed it again.
       But that was years before my 1998 California visit.
       At the time, I estimated that I had gone through maybe 50 
     or so airport security checks with the letter opener tucked 
     away in my kit. Nobody said a word about it--until I 
     encountered that eagle-eyed female screener at the San Diego 
     airport.
       Since Sept. 11 and the terrorist attacks perpetrated by 
     airline hijackers said to be armed with simple box cutters, 
     I've thought a lot about my old letter opener. And about the 
     amazing number of times I was able to breeze through airport 
     security checkpoints without anyone saying a word about it.
       As Sept. 11 made tragically clear, until now airline and 
     airport security has been pretty much a hit-or-miss 
     proposition.
       Security checkpoints have been manned by people generally 
     working for whatever company submitted the low bid for the 
     contract. Often, they've been paid minimum wage and given 
     little or no training.
       Far more typical than my experience in San Diego was one I 
     encountered when, during a long layover in Chicago, I waltzed 
     through security several times--letter opener and all--and 
     never got a second glance from a gaggle of screeners who were 
     laughing and talking and apparently having a great time. I 
     doubt they would have noticed, if I'd had an AK-47 under my 
     arm.
       Congress is debating changes in airline and airport 
     security. The Senate has voted to have security operations 
     taken over by the federal government. The House and President 
     Bush favor a system that would see the federal government 
     supervise and train private-sector employees.
       As for me, I think I'd favor tracking down that tough-as-
     nails screener I encountered out in San Diego and putting her 
     in charge.

     

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