Durbin Amendment Helps Innocent Airline Passengers Mistakenly Placed on Terrorist Watch Lists
DURBIN AMENDMENT HELPS INNOCENT AIRLINE PASSENGERS MISTAKENLY PLACED ON TERRORIST WATCH LISTS
Friday, July 14, 2006
[Washington, D.C.] - The United States Senate passed an amendment by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would help thousands of innocent airline passengers who have been placed on a terrorist watch list or whose names are similar or identical to those already on such lists.
"In airports all across our country, there are innocent Americans who are singled-out because their names either appear on a watch list compiled by the federal government or share the same name with an individual who is a real threat of committing a terror act," Durbin said. "The federal government must put in place a new process that will provide innocent passengers with a better way to fly. My amendment is a step in that direction."
Durbin's amendment directs that within the next six months the Secretary of Homeland Security must develop new procedures to expeditiously clear the names of individuals who have been mistakenly placed on a terrorist database list or who have names identical to or substantially similar to names on these database lists. The lists covered by Durbin's provision include the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) No-Fly and Selectee watch list.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the TSA and other federal agencies have maintained various lists that contain the names of individuals suspected of posing a risk of terrorism or threat to airlines or passenger safety.
Durbin noted, however, that many innocent passengers have been mistakenly placed on such lists, and thousands more have names similar or identical to terror threats that are on these lists. As a result, innocent passengers face delays and are prevented from using the internet or electronic kiosks located at the airport. They must be cleared each time by airline personnel at the check-in counter, often causing passengers to miss flights. Durbin said that current TSA procedures for clearing innocent travelers is a long process, finally resulting in a clearance letter that passengers must present to airline employees at the counter each time they fly.
Durbin's amendment was included in the Fiscal Year 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which was approved by the Senate yesterday. The House-passed Homeland Security Appropriations bill does not contain a provision similar to Durbin's. The Senate and House must now meet to work out the differences between the two bills.
http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=258688&&