[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 AIRLINE SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY

  (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1-minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, aviation security is matter of national 
security, protecting our skies is a matter of national defense, and we 
should not leave national security to the private companies that 
contract to the lowest bidder.
  The current system is broken. Contracting to the lowest bidder has 
created a workforce that suffers from high turnover rates, from low pay 
and low morale. Baggage screeners should be a highly skilled, highly 
trained workforce that serves the frontline for our national defense.
  There is a broad, bipartisan support of this particular effort. The 
Washington Post poll showed 82 percent of Americans support Federal 
Government taking over the airport screening. The Airport Pilots 
Association endorsed this. The Association of Flight Attendants 
endorsed this. The U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsed federalization. 
The Senate also endorses it, by 100 to zero. 100 Senators voted in 
favor of it.
  The U.S. should be a leader in airline security. The size and 
complexity of our system requires a Federal workforce that is 
professional, well-trained and well-paid. We ask that we reconsider, 
and ask the House to pass the bill and federalize them as quickly as 
possible.

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