[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 160 (Thursday, November 6, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2270]]
    HONORING THE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES OF THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY 
                             ADMINISTRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 6, 2003

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, recent incidents and undercover 
investigations have highlighted deficiencies in our nation's aviation 
security system. It is important, however, to remember how much things 
have improved since September 11th. How soon we forget about security 
on the cheap. It was only a few years ago that the screener of the year 
testified before the Aviation Subcommittee that he was only able to 
keep his job because he had additional income and wasn't dependent upon 
his screener salary. McDonalds was considered a step up for most 
screeners, turnover was 400 percent at some airports, and private 
security companies even had felons screening passengers and luggage.
  After September 11th, everything changed. We now have dedicated, 
well-paid professionals protecting the traveling public each and every 
day. I want to take a moment to thank the hard working employees of the 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who have dedicated 
themselves to improving security at our nation's airports. I recently 
received an e-mail from Daniel Bernath, a TSA employee at Portland 
International Airport, that I would like to insert in the Record.

       It was nice meeting with you for a few moments as you got 
     your plane ticket at United Airlines at PDX. I'm the TSA 
     officer who thanked you for your work in aviation security. . 
     . . As TSA officers we see the holes and potential problems 
     in aviation security and are troubled by them. I have 
     reported several to my superiors at TSA . . . The TSA 
     officers are proud to be serving our country even though the 
     job is extremely physically tiring and dangerous (we are 
     looking for explosives, knives and guns, and up to one third 
     of us have been injured . . . one suffered a heart attack 
     last month, another TSA officer suffered a stroke at PDX). I 
     have no trouble falling asleep at night because, I, like all 
     TSA officers, am completely physically exhausted at the end 
     of my watch. . . . The TSA rank and file is a very impressive 
     bunch and I am proud to be one of them and again wear my 
     country's uniform and I hope that your fellow Congressmen are 
     proud of us too; we are all highly educated--many have 
     college degrees (I have a juris doctor), many have management 
     experience and we are all there after 9.11 to protect our 
     fellow Americans. We are there to defend our country and 
     unlike the screeners before the attack, it is not just ``a 
     job'' to us. At least three times a day a fellow American 
     will watch me search her bag and say ``we're really glad the 
     TSA is here--thank you.'' I remind them that we took an oath 
     to protect the United States and point to our TSA emblem 
     which has 9 stars and 11 stripes in the flag, symbolizing the 
     reason for our creation and our mission that it never happen 
     again; the attack on the United States on 9.11. I think our 
     physical presence and professional demeanor helps our fellow 
     Americans feel comfortable about flying again . . . Daniel A. 
     Bernath TSA at PDX.''

  Mr. Bernath's e-mail says it best, ``the TSA rank and file is a very 
impressive bunch, I am proud to be one of them and again wear my 
country's uniform and I hope that your fellow Congressmen are proud of 
us too.'' I agree with Mr. Bernath, TSA employees are an impressive 
bunch and, although there is always room for improvement, I am very 
proud of the work they are doing. I want to thank Mr. Bernath and his 
fellow TSA employees who come to work each day dedicated to protecting 
the flying public. I hope my colleagues in Congress will join me in 
doing all we can to make sure they succeed in this mission.

                          ____________________