Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. TITUS. I rise today in support of the TSA reauthorization bill and to thank Chairman Thompson for his leadership in this important issue. I also would like to highlight two elements of the bill that I particularly support.

It's been over 7 years since the attacks of September 11 and there are still no guidelines for security training for flight attendants. H.R. 2200 requires that these individuals undergo mandatory and standardized security training.

Flight attendants are the only working group in the cabin aboard every commercial flight. They are literally on the front lines. They are an integral part of air security.

This legislation provides for meaningful training that will equip these flight attendants with danger detection and self-defense techniques and other important skills needed in the event of a crisis. This mandatory security training, which is needed and wanted by flight attendants, is an important step in ensuring our skies are as safe as they can be.

The second aspect of this legislation that I'd like to address is general aviation. In 2008, there were more than 400,000 general aviation flights from the Las Vegas area serving an estimated 1.3 million passengers. From our three local airports, you can take one of these flights to view the grandeur of the Grand Canyon and the desert which surrounds our city.

General aviation flights are also critical to supplying goods to Las Vegas. And they also are an efficient means for business travelers to reach our great city, one of the most popular business travel destinations.

This is a vital industry to my district, and I will be a voice for it here in Congress. I am hopeful that the TSA will involve this important industry in rulemaking, and I'm confident that they will.

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