[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 107 (Friday, September 10, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE INTRODUCTION OF THE AIR CARGO HARDENED CONTAINER PILOT PROGRAM

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                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 2004

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask for unanimous 
consent to address the House for as much time as I may consume.
  I want to bring to the attention of this Congress, legislation that I 
have introduced today----The Hardened Containers for Air Cargo Security 
Act of 2004.
  This legislation is in direct response to the 9/11 Commission 
Report's recommendation that a blast proof container should be on every 
commercial airplane that handles cargo. This legislation is a proactive 
step that puts this much needed and much delayed technology to 
immediate use.
  To successfully implement the hardened container program, a win-win 
partnership needs to be formed between the government, the air carriers 
and the flying public.
  This legislation puts these partners together.
  Specifically, this legislation creates a pilot program that does the 
following:
  Creates an incentive program that provides assistance to air carriers 
to test the use of hardened containers.
  Develops guidelines that determine the type of cargo that will be 
placed in hardened containers on a passenger aircraft.
  The pilot program will test the function and interaction of the 
hardened containers with other components of the aviation security 
system. It will validate estimates of the quantity of hardened 
containers required in the air carriers' operations, and identify 
issues in logistics and control.
  The pilot program will ultimately validate training and maintenance 
requirements required for integrating hardened containers into a 
carrier's fleet.
  The total investment in this pilot program is $1.7 million.
  As the 9/11 Commission Report has outlined, our nation must have a 
layered approach to aviation security. Hardened containers and the 
subsequent program this legislation creates, I firmly believe, must be 
a staple in aviation passenger security in the near future.
  Hardened containers, or blast proof containers as they are sometimes 
called, are the last line of defense if an explosive device eludes 
active security measures.
  We cannot rely on one technology or one security measure to protect 
our citizens, our aviation infrastructure and our aircrafts.
  Integrating a hardened container program will compliment technology 
and security measure that are already in place such as Explosive 
Detection Systems (EDS), on ground screeners, air marshals and of 
course our brave flight attendants.
  Since the catastrophic bombing of Pan Am 103 in December 1988, 
industry, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation 
Security Administration, have developed hardened containers that safely 
contain the detonation of bombs that otherwise would destroy airliners 
in flight.
  We have made the investment in this technology, now is the time to 
integrate it into our aviation system. The hardened containers are 
effective now in preventing damage to airliners by bombs considerably 
larger than the one that destroyed Pan Am 103.
  I ask my colleagues to strongly support the ``The Hardened Containers 
for Air Cargo Security Act of 2004'' and to comply with the 9/11 
Commission Report's recommendation on this very important issue.

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