[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 173 (Thursday, December 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AMEND TITLE 49 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE SO AIRPORT SCREENING PERSONNEL 
                   CAN BE U.S. CITIZENS OR NATIONALS

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                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 12, 2001

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation 
to amend Title 49 of the United States Code so that the airport 
security screening personnel referred to in Section 44935 of that Title 
can be U.S. citizens or nationals.
  American Samoa is the only place in the United States in which 
persons born of non-U.S. citizen parents acquire the political status 
of U.S. national, as opposed to that of U.S. citizen. According to the 
most recent data available, only 5.7 percent of American Samoa's 
population are U.S. citizens, with the vast majority being U.S. 
nationals.
  Enactment of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act into law 
last month added a requirement that all security screening personnel at 
airports be U.S. citizens. While I understand and strongly support 
Congressional intent to improve the quality of the security screening 
of baggage being put aboard commercial aircraft, I do believe the issue 
of U.S. nationals should be considered as part of the recent change.
  The U.S. nationals from American Samoa have a 100-year history of 
service to the United States. Just like citizens, these Americans owe 
their allegiance to the United States and have repeatedly demonstrated 
their allegiance in important ways. They are not foreign nationals, yet 
because of this one criterion placed on the hiring of security 
screening personnel, they will be treated as foreigners if this new 
requirement added in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act is 
not amended.
  With such a small number of U.S. citizens available in the American 
Samoa work force, the requirement in the Aviation and Transportation 
Security Act that security screening personnel be U.S. citizens also 
greatly reduces the pool of prospective employees. As a practical 
matter, this will be to the detriment of airline security on all 
flights within the region, thereby reducing, rather than increasing, 
security of the traveling public.
  Mr. Speaker, I see this amendment as a technical change to the law, 
and look forward to prompt passage so that security at the airport in 
American Samoa will remain strong.

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