[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 98 (Monday, June 28, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S5486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SAFER AIR ACT

  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, I am pleased to rise today to speak 
about an important piece of legislation that I introduced last week 
with my friend Senator Klobuchar. The SAFER AIR Act is going to bring 
our commercial air travel security checkpoints into the 21st century. 
Threats to our Nation's air travelers have advanced and magnetometers 
are simply not enough in this post-9/11 world. Our legislation would 
support and expand TSA's current efforts to adopt and deploy advanced 
technologies, like the advanced imaging technology, and explosive trace 
detection at an accelerated pace to ensure such equipment is the 
primary screening method in every commercial airport.
  The December 25 terror attempt on NW flight 253 was a frightening 
wake-up call that could have been prevented. It represents a failure in 
the mechanisms of our national security. This failed plot highlights 
our need to look at areas that can increase our security in the 
national airport system immediately. Important security improvements 
have been made in intelligence handling, but I am convinced more needs 
to be done. Airport security improvements are a needed and overdue part 
of the equation.
  I have been watching our domestic airport security closely in the 
past year. My airport in Salt Lake City, UT, is a testing site for 
advanced imaging technology. I have seen this machine in use, and been 
impressed with what represents a true advancement in the technology of 
safer skies. TSA needs to utilize equipment that is currently available 
to identify plastic and liquid explosives as well as move forward with 
the development and testing of new technologies to fight emerging 
threats.
  Our bill will require TSA to install technology with the capability 
of detecting plastic explosives, liquid explosives and other 
nonmetallic threats and explosives. These devices have been tested and 
available since 2007. The delay in deployment has gone on long enough. 
The SAFER AIR Act will require this technology in all commercial 
airports by 2013 and will encourage the further development of these 
technologies as threats continue to advance.
  An important provision in our legislation is the privacy protections 
it will establish for our traveling public. I applaud TSA for the 
protections it has already put in place. Our language will codify those 
protections and ensure the new technologies will also be used in a 
manner that doesn't violate the personal privacy of commercial flyers 
in the United States.
  New and emerging technologies have a great ability to detect 
nontraditional threats. I am eager to see these capabilities improved 
through further innovation and testing. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in supporting the SAFER AIR Act and do all we can to better protect the 
traveling public from existing and emerging threats.

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