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Precheck is Precheck Act of 2018

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 4, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Transportation

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Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6265, the PreCheck is PreCheck Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, in 2011, the Transportation Security Administration launched the PreCheck program to expedite vetted, known travelers through airport checkpoint screening. Today, TSA PreCheck is in more than 200 airports nationwide, improving security by allowing TSA to focus resources on the passengers it knows the least about who may pose a higher risk to the aviation system.

While PreCheck has generally proven popular with passengers, there is a concern that TSA has strayed from the program's original intent. In an effort to manage checkpoint wait times, TSA has pushed travelers who are not enrolled in PreCheck into expedited screening lanes.

While I recognize that large crowds of passengers waiting at checkpoints could pose a security risk, the way to prevent long lines is to staff checkpoints sufficiently, not to abuse the availability of expedited screening lanes.

H.R. 6265 seeks to address this issue by requiring that PreCheck lanes be used only by trusted travelers, with limited exceptions.

It also requires TSA to pilot a risk-modified screening concept under which a new level of screening, somewhere between PreCheck expedited screening and standard screening, could be provided to passengers who TSA deems to pose a lower risk to security.

Finally, this bill pushes TSA to grow participation in the PreCheck program by providing more innovative and convenient enrollment opportunities for passengers.

This bill is a result of bipartisan work and builds upon legislation that the Committee on Homeland Security ranking member, Mr. Thompson, advanced in the last Congress; and it is my delight to work with the current sponsor of this bill, Mr. Katko, as we move forward to ensure that traveling passengers are always safe. I thank Mr. Katko for his collaboration on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, Members on both sides of the aisle have been frustrated by not only TSA's use of PreCheck lanes to address wait times, but its failure to make significant progress in improving PreCheck enrollment opportunities. Enactment of H.R. 6265 should help TSA achieve its original vision for the PreCheck program.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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