[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. BOB RILEY

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 6, 2001

  Mr. RILEY. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained for Rollcall No. 
425, H.R. 3150, The Secure Transportation for America Act of 2001 Had I 
been present I would have voted ``yea''.
  Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased that the amendment I offered, 
which would allow sky marshals to fly home on their days off at no cost 
to themselves, was considered as part of the manager's amendment to 
H.R. 3150. While this amendment is a simple change, it could provide up 
to 20 percent additional law enforcement on flights and provide 
complimentary seats to the sky marshals that wish to return home on 
their days off.
  Frankly, I believe this provision is a winner for everyone. For the 
airlines, it provides an added measure of security on flights, for the 
sky marshals, it enables them to be home with their families during 
their time off, for the government, it is cost effective in terms of 
providing additional flight security at no additional cost to the 
government, and for the public it is an additional layer of security to 
ensure our airways are safe.
  Finally, in a very small way, it expresses our gratitude towards the 
individuals who risk their lives everyday to ensure our safety while 
traveling on airplanes.

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