USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005
USA PATRIOT AND TERRORISM PREVENTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 21, 2005)
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AMENDMENT NO. 18 OFFERED BY MR. SESSIONS
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I offer a thanks to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), chairman of the Committee on Rules, who made in order my request for an amendment.
Mr. Chairman, the PATRIOT Act currently makes it a Federal crime to interfere with any person operating a mass transportation vehicle with the intent to endanger any passenger or with a reckless disregard for the safety of human life.
While this clearly applies to passenger aircraft, it fails to protect other aircraft. The consequences of this oversight were recently exposed by a widely reported New Jersey laser beam incident. On two separate occasions, an individual directed a laser beam at the cockpit of a small passenger airplane and at a Port Authority Police Department helicopter. Such conduct is extremely dangerous, putting aircraft at tremendous risk by startling, distracting, and even blinding pilots. However, when apprehended, this individual was charged only in connection with the airplane. Although equally in danger, the police helicopter did not qualify for mass transportation vehicle protection.
Unfortunately, the New Jersey incident was not an isolated instance. Similar occurrences have happened in Ohio, Texas, Colorado, and Oregon. Pilots nationwide increasingly are reporting laser-beam interference during landing approaches, and although no reports have been terrorist-related to date, there is evidence that terrorists are exploring the use of similar laser tactics as weapons.
Regardless of intent, we must communicate to the public that aircraft interference of any kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It is our duty to give law enforcement the tools it needs to protect pilots, passengers, and civilians on the ground. The PATRIOT Act has taken a first step, and now we must tie up these loose ends.
This amendment would simply extend the existing PATRIOT Act passenger aircraft protections to all aircraft. Just as it is entirely unacceptable to interfere with the pilot of a passenger aircraft, it is equally unacceptable to interfere with a pilot of a government or private aircraft.
Additionally, this amendment would ensure the protection of everyone engaged in the operation of an aircraft from those in the air to those navigating on the ground.
Mr. Chairman, this is a commonsense amendment that will improve aircraft safety. A gap has been exposed in the current law, and now we have an opportunity to fill that gap.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. SESSIONS. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Chairman, let me say that I think the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) has spotted a loophole in our current law and the vulnerability for aircraft that are not passenger aircraft in nature.
An aircraft that is brought down by a laser will kill people just as dead if they have passengers on it or if it is a cargo plane or general aviation aircraft or a government plane. I think people who shine lasers into cockpits of planes should have to face the music with criminal charges whether the planes are carrying passengers or not, and I think the amendment is a good one and ought to be adopted.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I appreciate the kind words of the gentleman from Wisconsin and also his words about the need for this body to adopt this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, we owe it to the pilots to offer them every extension of protection possible, and I am asking all of my colleagues to protect aviation in America by supporting this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for not only her words in support of this amendment but also thank this body for carefully looking at the provisions and amendments adding to this PATRIOT Act to help keep America safe. I am very proud of this product that we are working on. I would like to ask all my colleagues to support the Sessions amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
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