For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 25, 2001
President's Letter Supporting Aviation Security Bill
Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
October 25, 2001
Dear Mr. Speaker:
The quickest, most effective way to increase aviation security is
to pass H.R. 3150, the Secure Transportation for America
Act. Time is of the essence. I urge your support
for H.R. 3150.
Making American air travel as safe and secure as possible is one of
our Nation's top priorities. Last month, I proposed dramatic
changes to our aviation security system: full Federal control of
airport security and screening services; major expansion of the Federal
Air Marshal program; and substantial new funding for aircraft security
modifications. H.R. 3150 would accomplish these important
initiatives and improve security quickly and effectively.
Both my proposal and H.R. 3150 give the Federal Government
immediate and comprehensive control of aviation security. A
new Transportation Security Agency, housed at the Department of
Transportation, will hire Federal employees to supervise, manage, and
train all passenger and baggage screeners. The new Security
Agency would also establish and enforce new qualification standards for
screeners, perform background checks on all screeners and other persons
with access to secure areas at airports, and provide a uniformed
Federal law enforcement presence at commercial airports.
Significantly, H.R. 3150 leaves the Federal Government the
flexibility to build the best workforce to perform the actual screening
function -- another key element of my proposal. This model
of Federal control plus flexibility mirrors the well-regarded airline
security systems in place in many European countries, which involve
public/private partnerships. Many adopted this model of
strong government oversight over high-quality private security
companies after finding other models of airline security to be less
effective.
Other legislative proposals would mandate that all passenger and
baggage screeners must be Federal workers in all
circumstances. Such an inflexible, one-size-fits-all
requirement fails to permit security tailored to the very different
circumstances that exist at airports across the country. I
am pleased that Chairman Young and the co-sponsors of H.R. 3150 have
chosen not to limit the Administration's options in choosing the
strongest possible means to protect Americans who travel by
air. Giving the Government the flexibility to use private
contractors will facilitate transition to the new system, promote
better screening services through competition, and ensure that security
managers can move swiftly to discipline or remove employees who fail to
live up to the rigorous new standards.
The American people deserve a quick and smooth transition to a
better aviation security system. I urge the House to pass
H.R. 3150 as soon as possible; and my Administration looks forward to
continuing to work with the Congress on any refinements that may be
necessary to ensure that the Nation's aviation security needs are
addressed in the most effective manner possible.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
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