Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Committee on Homeland
Security, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 720, the
Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015. This bipartisan
legislation will help airports nationwide improve their emergency
response plans, in order to be better prepared for security incidents
like the tragic shooting that occurred at Los Angeles International
Airport on November 1, 2013. This legislation will enhance airport
security by requiring the Transportation Security Administration to
assess security incident preparedness at airports across the country,
train its own employees on how to effectively respond to active shooter incidents, develop plans for testing emergency communications equipment, and act as a clearinghouse for airport security best-practices.
I had the opportunity to travel to LAX nearly a year ago for a site
visit and field hearing led by the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr.
Hudson. During that trip, the Committee gained a better understanding
of how relatively easy it is for someone with malicious intent to wreak
havoc at one of the world's busiest airports and how important it is to
have adequate emergency plans in place to respond to any security
incident that may occur.
I would like to commend the Chairman of the Subcommittee on
Transportation Security, Mr. Katko and the former Chairman of the
Subcommittee, Mr. Hudson for their diligent efforts to address this
important issue, and their dedication to strengthening the state of
airport security nationwide. I also wish to commend the bipartisan
efforts of both the Ranking Member of the Full Committee, Mr. Thompson,
and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Miss Rice, whose support of
this legislation is greatly appreciated. Identical language to H.R. 720
was approved by the Committee on Homeland Security last Congress and
subsequently passed the House by voice vote.
I urge support for this critical measure.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source