CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE CALLS FOR CABIN SECURITY HEARINGS AND QUESTIONS THE SERIES OF HEARINGS THAT CRITICIZE TSA INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS
Breach of Trust: Addressing Misconduct Among TSA Screeners
Washington,
Jul 30, 2012 -
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, released the following statement regarding today’s hearing on ‘Breach of Trust: Addressing Misconduct Among TSA Screeners’:
“We are constantly criticizing TSA and not coming forth with solution and not having hearings that hammer away at TSA considering we have not had one serious terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11. In the past we have had passengers and flight crew show extreme bravery, recently aboard JetBlue Flight 191 from New York City to Las Vegas. Their brave and astute course of action mitigated what could have been an unforgettable tragedy. Unfortunately this is not the first time an incident like this has threatened passengers in the sky.
“Just hours after this particular incident took place on that day the media reported that a passenger was arrested for being disruptive aboard a flight. Earlier that month passengers subdued an American Airlines flight attendant after she became disruptive. A couple of years ago, a co-pilot was reportedly removed from an Air Canada flight after experiencing mental problems. And as we all recall, on December 25th of 2009, passengers subdued the Christmas Day bomber.
“These are instances where immediate passenger and flight crew response was critical to ensuring the security of the aircraft and its passengers. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Committee to ensure that we conduct oversight of in cabin security.”
“Also, I am happy that TSA will now consider the most appropriate method of implementation of a uniform, expedited crew access system, including now the Flight Attendants. As we know, Flight Attendants do not just serve beverages. They are often the first crewmembers to recognize and address safety and security problems. Flight Attendants are first responders and the last line of defense in aviation security. I applaud TSA and the Department of Homeland Security for implementing risk-based security that strengthens our network and allows us to focus on real threats. Known Crewmember recognizes the integral role flight crews have in keeping U.S. aviation safety.
“In the next couple of weeks I will be asking for the full committee to conduct hearings on the safety and training of all in flight crews. I look forward to working with the leadership of the committee to look into this important issue.”
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