U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. Rep. Don Young, Chairman

Contact:  Steve Hansen (Director of Communications)  (202) 225-7749
 Email: Steve.Hansen@mail.house.gov
     Justin Harclerode (Deputy Director of Communications)  (202) 226-8767
  Email: Justin.Harclerod@mail.house.gov

To:  National Desk/Transportation Reporter
September 13, 2002

Status Of Airport Security Measures To Be Focus Of Congressional Oversight Hearing In Orlando On Tuesday

        Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House Subcommittee on Aviation will conduct a Congressional oversight hearing on Tuesday to examine the current status of efforts to improve airport security, including the federal government’s ability to meet the upcoming deadlines for a federal screening workforce and the installation of baggage explosive detection devices.

        The Subcommittee hearing, which will be chaired by U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-FL), is scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, September 17th, in the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board Room at Orland International AirportU.S. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL), a Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, will also participate in the hearing.

Tuesday’s Witness List

- Stephen J. McHale, Deputy Under Secretary of Transportation for Security, Transportation Security Administration
- C. W. “Bill” Jennings, Executive Director, Orlando International Airport
- Rosemarie Grubbs, Kissimmee, Florida
    - Accompanied by: Jim Grubbs
- Mac Curtis, President/Government Solutions Division, NCS Pearson
- John K. Davidson, Vice-President/Airport Security Programs, The Boeing Company

Airport Security Issues That Will Be Addressed At Hearing

        President Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act on November 19, 2001.  The legislation included several security provisions authored by Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Mica and Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska).  This legislation removed responsibility for aviation security from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), within the Department of Transportation, to handle all transportation security matters including aviation security.

        In the 10 months since the law was passed, a number of issues have arisen that will be the subject of the hearing.
Among the major issues the oversight hearing will examine are:

          The Orlando Airport is one of the first airports to be getting Federal screeners as required by the Act and some of the
          existing screeners are complaining about their treatment by the Transportation Security Administration;


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