Introduction of the Cargo Flight Deck Security Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the bipartisan Cargo Flight Deck Security Act along with my colleague, Brian Fitzpatrick.

The safety and security of our pilots, our skies, and the flying public are at stake.

Today, many cargo planes have no cockpit barrier and without the safety of hardened flight deck doors, the aircraft's interior is open, and the flight deck is completely exposed. This leaves pilots without a means to adequately separate the flight crew from personnel riding in the bulkhead or potential cargo-hold stowaways.

Ultimately this is about parity and safety. Cargo pilots have been fighting for hardened cockpit doors for 18 years, and this bill will solve that long overdue security concern.

After 9/11, regulatory changes put in motion requirements to require hardened cockpit doors for all aircraft to separate the flight deck from the cargo/passenger bay. Unfortunately, after 2003, the TSA made changes to its requirements and erected a wholesale carve-out for cargo airplanes, effectively creating disparate requirements for passenger and cargo airline safety.

The Cargo Flight Deck Security Act ensures all pilots are protected by hardened cockpit doors and takes steps to keep our skies and flying public safe.

I urge this body to pass advance this legislation.

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