[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21406]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         MAKING AIRPORTS SAFER

  (Mr. KNOLLENBERG asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, simply making an airport baggage and 
passenger screener a Federal employee will not make airports safer. 
Tougher standards and strict Federal oversight will make airports 
safer; and that is exactly what this act does, the one we have up 
today.
  The American public needs to regain its confidence in flying. How 
will they do that if we do not have the ability to discipline or remove 
screeners who are not performing? How will they regain confidence if we 
cannot equip personnel with superior technology? And how will they 
regain that confidence if qualified retired Federal workers, such as 
Federal marshals, are unable to be hired because they will have to 
sacrifice their retirement benefits and their health care benefits?
  The answer is they will not.
  The Secure Transportation for America Act gives the administration 
the flexibility that they need to have the best possible employees 
screening passengers and baggage. The American people deserve no less.

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