Pair of Bills Aimed at Improving Airport Security Pass House With Near-Unanimous Support
Mary Minor Davis February 11, 2015
After less than a week of deliberation, the House passed new legislation requiring enhanced measures for threat investigation and response at domestic airports.
Two bills designed to improve security at domestic airports introduced by New York Rep. John Katko have passed the U.S. House of Representatives, less than one week after the bipartisan bills were introduced.
Katko serves on the House Homeland Security Committee and is chair of the Transportation Security subcommittee. Last Thursday, he introduced The Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act (H.R. 720) — named for a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer killed in the line of duty at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in November 2013 — and the Office of Inspection Accountability Act (H.R. 719). Both bills passed on Tuesday with a near-unanimous vote, according to a news release from Katko’s office.
In a statement issued last week announcing the bills’ introduction, Katko said:
Threats to our nation’s transportation systems are constantly evolving, and it is critical that Congress act to preempt catastrophes at our nation’s airports by strengthening security protocols in the most cost-effective manner possible. My subcommittee hearing earlier this week stemmed from security breaches in which loaded firearms were brought onto commercial airplanes by employees with airport access privileges. In light of that hearing, these bills provide a thoughtful response to create safer airports across our country by improving upon nationwide security protocols and facilitating commonsense TSA reform to save taxpayer dollars.
H.R. 720, according to Katko’s release, “requires TSA to verify that all U.S airports have appropriate security response plans in case of an active shooter or other threat targeting the airport.” This would include having appropriate evacuation plans for travelers, conducting operations training and drills with appropriate agencies within the airport community and testing communications systems.
H.R. 719, also according to Katko’s release, “ensures that funding is used wisely by the TSA” and that TSA employees spend at least 50 percent of their time conducting criminal investigations in order to maintain “premium law enforcement pay, training and other benefits.”
The Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration declined to comment on the pending legislation.
[Photo: iStock]
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So besides taking away water bottles and attempting to identify "organic matter", now these clowns are expected to have the mental capacity to execute pre-planned emergency procedures under extreme duress (some shooting into a crowd of civilians generally constitutes as stressful)... Why not hire proper security if needed and let these guys get back to sticking their hands down people's pants?
@rmiller774 +1. Exactamundo. As a staff employee with a Federal Law enforcement agency, the real fed cops who get the extra "criminal investigative" pay earn it. This is only bringing TSA's folks in line...
I wonder if it means that the fraction of TSA persons who currently conduct such investigations must "maintain" their rank by spending at least 50% etc. etc.
"H.R. 719, also according to Katko’s release, “ensures that funding is used wisely by the TSA” and that TSA employees spend at least 50 percent of their time conducting criminal investigations in order to maintain “premium law enforcement pay, training and other benefits.” Wow, what a waste of time! How many TSA employees are there? If each had to spend 1/2 their time on criminal investigations they'd have to hire 1,000s of new employees. Besides many of TSA's employees aren't qualified to do criminal investigation. Why should, for example, a TSA procurement clerk or secretary be required to investigate anyone?