Durbin Amendment Helps Innocent Airline Passengers Mistakenly Placed on Terrorist Watch List
DURBIN AMENDMENT HELPS INNOCENT AIRLINE PASSENGERS MISTAKENLY PLACED ON TERRORIST WATCH LIST
Friday, September 29, 2006
[Washington, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said the federal government will create a new process to help clear the names of thousands of innocent passengers who have been mistakenly placed on a terrorist watch lists. An amendment by Durbin was included in the Homeland Security Appropriations bill that was approved by the Senate and the House. The President is expected to sign the legislation.
"All Americans are willing to do their part to keep our country safe, but no American should have to pay a price for bureaucratic mix ups and red tape," Durbin said. "The federal government will now be required to put in place a process to remove the names of innocent American passengers who have been singled-out because their names appear on a watch list."
Durbin said his amendment directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to 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 within the next six months. 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.
http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=264241&&