[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22968]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO EMPLOYEES OF TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER T. KING

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2007

  Mr. KING of New York. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the 
employees of the Transportation Security Administration.
  When Congress created the TSA, we intended to form a security force 
that could quickly adapt and respond to crises in order to protect our 
nation's transportation system.
  On August 10, 2006, TSA demonstrated that it can perform its mission 
admirably.
  As we now know, 21 terrorists from London were conspiring to detonate 
liquid explosives aboard transatlantic flights bound for the United 
States. They wanted to create a catastrophe that could have rivaled the 
horror of September 11th. Though their plot was foiled, the event 
should serve to remind us that we must remain vigilant in the ongoing 
war against terror.
  The TSA's response to this imminent threat helped guide our nation 
through that crisis. In the evening hours of August 9, 2006, TSA 
quickly responded. As British authorities began arresting the terrorist 
suspects, TSA altered its screening to ensure that the plot would be 
foiled.
  Within four hours--before the first flight took off on August 10th--
TSA implemented new security procedures, trained and deployed more than 
43,000 Transportation Security Officers to execute these new 
procedures, and deployed Federal Air Marshals to multiple locations 
overseas. The dedication that the employees of TSA demonstrated in 
response to this terrorist plot should not be forgotten.
  Notably, the work attendance for Transportation Security Officers on 
August l0th was an all-time high in the history of TSA. As one Federal 
Security Director recalled, ``All our security officers came in; every 
single one of them. Anytime something happens . . . you have to fight 
them off. Mission is never our problem.''
  On this anniversary of that failed attempt of terror, I want to thank 
the employees of the Transportation Security Administration. We owe 
them great gratitude.

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