[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16211]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION NAMING THE ``FRANK R. LAUTENBERG AVIATION 
                           SECURITY COMPLEX''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. FRANK A. LoBIONDO

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2001

  Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing legislation to 
designate Buildings 315, 318 and 319 located at the Federal Aviation 
Administration's William J. Hughes Technical Center in my district as 
the ``Frank R. Lautenberg Aviation Security Complex.'' As Chairman of 
the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator 
Lautenberg worked to secure funding to provide for the creation and 
building of this complex. Due to his tireless efforts on this and other 
aviation security matters, and for his distinguished service in the 
Senate, it is fitting to name the complex after Senator Lautenberg.
  Throughout his career, Senator Lautenberg was acutely aware of the 
need for greater vigilance and development of ever more sophisticated 
and effective technologies and methodologies to counter terrorist 
threats directed at civil aviation. Senator Lautenberg was at the 
forefront of the effort to provide the resources necessary for the 
United States to develop the policies, procedures and equipment needed 
to ensure the safety of the American flying public.
  Following the tragic December 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over 
Lockerbie, Scotland that resulted in the loss of over 270 lives, 
Senator Lautenberg called for and chaired the first Congressional 
hearings into this tragedy and initiated efforts to assist the families 
of the victims.
  Senator Lautenberg sponsored the Senate Resolution calling for 
appointment of a special commission to perform ``a comprehensive study 
and appraisal of practices and policy options with respect to 
preventing terrorist acts involving aviation security'' and President 
Bush responded with the establishment of the ``President's Commission 
on Aviation Security and Terrorism.'' Senator Lautenberg was named to 
serve as one of only four Congressional members of the Commission. Upon 
completion of the Commission's work, Senator Lautenberg sponsored the 
Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990 (PL 101-604), which provided 
the basis and authority for much of the FAA's current aviation security 
program.
  In the wake of concerns over the crash of TWA flight 800 in 1996, 
Senator Lautenberg supported President Clinton's establishment of the 
``White House Commission on Aviation and Security.'' This commission 
went on to develop an action plan to deploy new high technology 
machines to detect the most sophisticated explosives, and offered 
recommendations to further enhance aviation security. In direct 
response to that report, Senator Lautenberg joined with his colleagues 
in sponsoring the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 1996 and the 
Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 which appropriated more 
than $400 million for acquisition of new explosives detection 
technology and other aviation security improvements.
  I thank my colleagues in the New Jersey delegation--Robert Menendez, 
Jim Saxton, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Donald Payne, Steve Rothman and 
William Pascrell--for cosponsoring this bill, and urge its passage.

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