CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE APPLAUDS THE DECISION OF TSA TO ABANDON PLANS TO ALLOW KNIVES ON PLANES

Jackson Lee to offer bipartisan amendment to Homeland Security Appropriations Act to prevent TSA from changing policy in future to permit knives on planes

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), a Senior Member of the House Homeland Security Committee and Ranking Member of its Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding the Transportation Security Administrations (TSA) decision to not allow small knives to be carried on passenger aircraft:

“In the days following TSA Administrator Pistole’s initial announcement of modifications to the Prohibited Items List (PIL), my office was approached by many persons expressing concern over the proposed changes. Over the last three months, I have heard from flight attendants, air marshals, pilots, passengers, Transportation Security Officers, and airlines who were virtually unanimous in their opposition to any change in TSA policy that would allow knives to be brought into the cabin of passenger planes.

“Putting Transportation Security Officers in charge of judging which knives are permissible and which must be confiscated would have decreased security and increase wait times for passengers. The policy was reckless and irresponsible, which is why I introduced H. Res. 156, a bipartisan resolution with my colleague, Congressman Grimm of New York, which expresses the House’s disapproval of the Transportation Security Administration's decision to modify the prohibited items list, set to take effect on April 25, 2013, that would allow passengers to bring small knives in their carry-on baggage.

“More importantly, the resolution strongly expressed the sense of the House that TSA delay any changes to the Prohibited Items List indefinitely and should conduct a formal engagement process involving all of the affected stakeholders and has meaningful consultations with affected air travel industry stakeholders, including flight attendants.

“After engaging in the process called for in my resolution, TSA today announced that it was abandoning its efforts to change the PIL to permit knives on planes.

“While I welcome today’s announcement by TSA, it is important that the banning of knives on planes have the force of law and the imprimatur of the Congress. For this reason, later today I will be offering a bipartisan amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2014 that will prohibit TSA from making any changes to the Prohibited Items List without the approval of Congress.

“The Jackson Lee-Grimm-Markey-Reed Amendment will benefit the flying public, flight attendants, the Transportation Security Officer workforce, several airlines and other stakeholders on the frontline who keep the flying public safe.”

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Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas’ 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security. She is Ranking Member on the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee.