Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 720, the Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015.

As the former chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Transportation Security, I introduced this bipartisan bill in the 113th Congress to improve the state of preparedness at our Nation's airports in response to the shooting at Los Angeles International Airport in November of 2013.

I would like to thank Ranking Member Thompson for working with me in a bipartisan way. We traveled together for the field hearing and toured the site. And I think the work that he does in a bipartisan way on this committee is a true testament to what the American people expect us to do here, which is to work together and put the people's business first. It was a pleasure working with the ranking member.

I also want to thank Chairman McCaul for his strong leadership of this committee. He also worked very closely with me on this legislation and traveled with us that day to Los Angeles. So without his support, this would not have been possible.

That event, which tragically took the life of Transportation Security Officer Gerardo Hernandez and wounded three other people, served as an unfortunate wake-up call to the gaps in our security and the relative ease to which someone could wreak havoc on one of our Nation's airports.

After months and months of careful review and hard work, including the site visit I mentioned to LAX, the subcommittee found that while State, Federal, and local law enforcement's response to the LAX shooting could be described as nothing but heroic and was swiftly executed, there was room for improvement in the coordinated response and communications in the critical moments after the major security incident. That is where this important, bipartisan bill stems from.

And I know, as chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) has taken our work from the last Congress and has built upon it. He has done the hard work to make sure that it reached the finish line. I take my hat off to Chairman Katko for showing great leadership and the kind of fortitude and determination necessary to advance this legislation, to finally get it to the Senate, and to have the President sign it into law.

Serving as chairman of the House committee that oversees transportation security is no easy task, but it is one that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) has excelled at. He is not afraid to ask tough questions.

He holds folks accountable, and he has worked diligently to improve aviation security in this Nation.

The bottom line is, while TSA has taken positive measures to update the emergency response protocols since the LAX incident, this bill will help to solidify these changes and ensure our airports are fully prepared to respond to future security incidents and potential acts of terrorism. This bill will provide for more extensive collaboration and coordination between airports, law enforcement, first responders, and TSA, which will result in safer airports across the country. It is a necessary step towards countering the threats facing our Nation's airports without placing an undue burden on airport operators, law enforcement, and the taxpayers.

The shooting at LAX was a tragedy that will never be forgotten by those affected and those of us who are committed to protecting the traveling public.

My thoughts today and my prayers continue to be with the family of Officer Hernandez. I hope that they are watching today, and I hope they are proud of the work of this Congress.

I want to thank, again, Chairman Katko for his work to keep the traveling public safe, and I applaud him for stepping up on such an important issue and ensuring this bill reaches the President's desk.

I urge my colleagues to honor the memory of Transportation Security Officer Hernandez and to support this legislation.

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