Tim
Russert Asked the Right Questions About Extending the Deadline for Screening
Airline Baggage for Explosives
Dear
Colleague:
Last Sunday on Meet
the Press, Tim Russert asked excellent questions about
the recommendations of the Select Committee on Homeland Security to extend the
deadline for screening checked airline baggage for explosives:
RUSSERT:…This
is what the secretary of transportation, Norm Mineta, said less than 90 days
ago, that all checked airline baggage for explosives would be done by the end of
the year. The 429 U.S. airports
that have commercial airline service will get screening systems by December 31,
the deadline Congress established in last year's aviation security bill, Mineta
said.
Now,
on Friday, you voted and pushed for an extension, a delay of a year for the
screening of all checked airline baggage, which means that a terrorist could
take a suitcase with a bomb, check it, get on the plane, and blow the plane up.
Why
can't the United States of America, with all our know-how and technology, get
these machines in place by the end of this year, and why would you delay it for
now another year and a half?
****
RUSSERT:
But this is going to put Americans who
fly commercial airlines at serious risk for at least the next year and a
half.
Tim Russert asked the
right questions and we all need to answer these questions when we decide whether
to support the extension of the deadline.
My answer is that the United States has the technology, know-how, and
will to get these machines in place by the end of the year. And Mr. Russert was right -- delaying
this deadline would put Americans at serious risk and we must not do
it.
During consideration of
the Homeland Security bill, I intend to offer an amendment to strike this
provision and, as you evaluate the issue, I ask that you keep the following
facts in mind:
Ø
Extending the deadline is
not needed to give the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
flexibility to implement the Aviation Security Act if TSA is unable to meet the
deadline of the Dec. 31, 2002, for screening all baggage with explosive
detection equipment. The law
already provides flexibility. Under
the Aviation Security Act, baggage that cannot be screened by explosive
detection equipment shall be screened by alternative means including: bag match,
manual search, search by canine detection, or search by any other means on
technology approved by TSA.
Ø
It is simply not correct
to say that if we await the development of new technology, the new technology
will be better at detecting explosives.
The explosive detection systems now available have been certified
pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 44913 as able to: “detect under realistic air carrier
operating conditions the amount, configurations, and the types of explosive
material that would be likely used to cause catastrophic damage to commercial
aircraft.” The new technology,
which some have touted as the reason we should extend the deadline, is not
expected to be any better at detecting explosives. The new technology may be less costly or
able to process more bags per hour, but it won’t be any better at detecting
explosives.
Ø
None of the new
technology that is currently being evaluated for certification is likely to be
certified in time for it to be installed by December 31, 2003, the new deadline
established by the Select Committee.
When these facts are
considered, I think you will agree with me that an extension of the deadline is
not needed, and that the result of delaying the installation of equipment will
be, as Mr. Russert put it, to place “Americans who fly commercial airlines at
risk for at least the next year and a half.”
We must amend the
homeland security bill to strike the provision extending the deadline for
screening checked baggage.
Sincerely,
James L. Oberstar
Ranking Democratic Member