Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, the Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2013, sponsored by the ranking member of the full Committee on Homeland Security, Mr. Thompson.

Mr. Speaker, the American people know that the TSA is charged with protecting our aviation systems against another horrific terrorist attack like we experienced on September 11, 2001. However, the role of industry stakeholders--from pilots and flight attendants to private screening companies and airport operators--is equally as critical, albeit less visible.

TSA is in the spotlight, for better or for worse; but many of TSA's private sector partners are also responsible for implementing effective security programs and keeping travelers safe. This shared responsibility is precisely why TSA cannot make decisions in a vacuum, as it has been known to do.

The bill before us sends a necessary message to TSA leadership, and frankly to all DHS leadership, that the Congress values stakeholder input, private sector collaboration, and thoughtful planning prior to rolling out new policies and procedures that affect millions of travelers.

The Aviation Security Advisory Committee that is authorized in this legislation serves as a valuable sounding board for TSA decisionmakers. By codifying the committee in statute, we will prevent a needless expiration of its charter and disbandment, which has already happened once under TSA.

As chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, I am proud of the manner in which this bill was thoughtfully considered and amended in committee by Members on both sides of the aisle, and I thank the ranking member for his work on this important issue.

I think the more recent example we have with the knives being allowed on the airplanes without input and participation by the flight attendants and the pilots is a classic example of this Department not talking to the private sector about what can better protect them and passengers on airplanes. Of course, that decision was reversed by the Director of TSA, eventually, after he consulted with the stakeholders in the community. This bill will provide that they consult with those stakeholders before such decisions are made.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson), chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security.

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act introduced by my friend, the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. Bennie Thompson.

This commonsense bill ensures stakeholders have a seat at the table when working with their partners at the Transportation Security Administration. Too many times in government we see a lack of communication between government officials and industry stakeholders. This gap is troubling as it creates a vacuum of ideas and does not allow for a flow of information between the Federal Government and the private sector that is necessary.

Mr. Thompson's bill, which passed out of our committee unanimously, would bridge that gap by allowing the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to take effect and have the constant line of communication to exchange ideas and formulate thoughtful procedures at the agency responsible for security of commercial aviation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bipartisan bill.

I want to thank Chairman Hudson, ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Thompson, and Ranking Member Richmond.

I am proud to report to this House that this committee has passed several bills, all of which have passed unanimously out of our committee. I am not sure if there is any committee in Congress that can say that. I am very proud of that effort. I hope that we can continue in that spirit with more complex legislation that we face in the future. I know that with the ranking member and his spirit of cooperation we will be able to get it done.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

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