[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 5, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H1607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AIR CARGO SECURITY ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Air Cargo 
Security Act, a bill to strengthen air cargo security on all commercial 
flights by closing existing air cargo security loopholes. This bill is 
the companion to legislation introduced by Senators Hutchison and 
Feinstein.
  Since September 11, we have worked diligently as a Nation to improve 
the safety of our commercial air travel, dramatically increasing the 
security requirements for passengers on airliners. Yet on those same 
aircraft, there remain glaring gaps in air cargo security, according to 
a 2002 GAO report. Nearly one-quarter of all air cargo is transported 
on passenger aircraft, typically filling the hull of each passenger 
plane. Yet only a fraction of that cargo is ever inspected.
  According to the GAO, air cargo is vulnerable to tampering at 
multiple points during land transportation and at air cargo handling 
facilities. First, there are lax processes for verifying the 
identification of air cargo handlers and conducting criminal background 
checks. Second, the Known Shippers Freight Forwarding program does not 
have sufficient safeguards in place to adequately protect against cargo 
tampering; and most important, nearly all cargo shipped by passenger 
plane is never screened.
  The Air Cargo Security Act would require the Transportation Security 
Agency to resolve these deficiencies in air cargo security through 
several key mechanisms. First, it requires the TSA to develop a 
strategic plan to screen, inspect, and otherwise ensure the security of 
all cargo transported through the Nation's air transportation system.
  It also imposes measures that would require the TSA to increase 
inspections of air cargo shippers and their facilities and to work with 
foreign countries to conduct regular inspections at facilities 
transporting air cargo to the United States.
  This bill requires TSA to establish an industry-wide pilot program 
database of known shippers of cargo that is shipped in passenger 
aircraft and to conduct random inspection of freight forwarder 
facilities. The Secretary would be required to suspend or revoke the 
certificate of noncompliant freight forwarders.
  Under this act, the TSA retains tremendous flexibility in developing 
a program to inspect and screen air cargo in which it can select from a 
wide range of technological and operational options to enhance 
security. These measures, ranging from low- to high-tech, include using 
bomb-sniffing dogs, installing more cameras in cargo areas, screening 
air cargo for explosives, securing cargo with high-tech seals, or using 
cargo tracking systems or industry-wide computer profiling systems.

                              {time}  1445

  By using a combination of these techniques, TSA will be able to 
design and implement an effective system to ensure the security of our 
air cargo. Aviation security is a bipartisan issue that directly 
affects all Americans. Aviation is only as safe from terrorism as its 
most vulnerable component and that component is now the cargo. 
Strengthening air cargo security is vital to ensuring passenger 
security.
  I want to thank my Senate colleagues for their leadership on this 
issue, and to the cosponsors of this legislation in the House, the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. 
Case), and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bell), and I urge my 
colleagues to support the Air Cargo Security Act of 2003.

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