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CNN Live At Daybreak
Do You Feel Safer Now at the Airport?
Aired September 30, 2003 - 06:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Do you feel safer now at the airport? It's nice to see all of those security people behind the X- ray machines, isn't it? Well, the ranks are about to get a little thinner. The proposed layoffs become reality today.
Let's head live to Reagan National and Jennifer Coggiola -- good morning, Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the TSA, as you know, was formed in response to the September 11 attacks and they deployed nearly 55,000 of these government paid full-time screeners, the people we see when we take off our shoes and belts and they check our bags. Well, in April they decided to cut 6,000 of them because of a cap set by Congress, as well as budget restraints.
Well, that deadline to finish those cuts was today. Actually, the cuts have already been completed as of last Thursday. The TSA saving nearly $280 million on this. But the big question you and I, everyone has, is what about safety?
Well, we talked to a TSA spokesman yesterday who said that safety is not going to be negotiated, that they have other efforts in place now besides screening, things that you and I know about, like the federal air marshals, canine units, also law enforcement officials present in all of the terminals. So safety will not be a factor. We will remain in good hands.
COSTELLO: Yes, but Jennifer, you talked about air marshals, there's not an air marshal on every flight, is there?
COGGIOLA: No, not at this point. But there actually is a new initiative that we just heard about which is interesting. Now, Michael Garcia, he is head of Immigration and Customs enforcement. He's soon going to be head of the federal air marshal's program. And what he wants to do is actually get other law enforcement officials like Secret Service, police officers to serve as air marshals when they travel, whether it's with their family or on business. He hopes to get this program initiative set off some time in November. So we could have more of them come this fall.
COSTELLO: Well, I'm sure all the fliers hope so, as well.
Jennifer Coggiola live from Reagan National this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 30, 2003 - 06:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Do you feel safer now at the airport? It's nice to see all of those security people behind the X- ray machines, isn't it? Well, the ranks are about to get a little thinner. The proposed layoffs become reality today.
Let's head live to Reagan National and Jennifer Coggiola -- good morning, Jennifer.
JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the TSA, as you know, was formed in response to the September 11 attacks and they deployed nearly 55,000 of these government paid full-time screeners, the people we see when we take off our shoes and belts and they check our bags. Well, in April they decided to cut 6,000 of them because of a cap set by Congress, as well as budget restraints.
Well, that deadline to finish those cuts was today. Actually, the cuts have already been completed as of last Thursday. The TSA saving nearly $280 million on this. But the big question you and I, everyone has, is what about safety?
Well, we talked to a TSA spokesman yesterday who said that safety is not going to be negotiated, that they have other efforts in place now besides screening, things that you and I know about, like the federal air marshals, canine units, also law enforcement officials present in all of the terminals. So safety will not be a factor. We will remain in good hands.
COSTELLO: Yes, but Jennifer, you talked about air marshals, there's not an air marshal on every flight, is there?
COGGIOLA: No, not at this point. But there actually is a new initiative that we just heard about which is interesting. Now, Michael Garcia, he is head of Immigration and Customs enforcement. He's soon going to be head of the federal air marshal's program. And what he wants to do is actually get other law enforcement officials like Secret Service, police officers to serve as air marshals when they travel, whether it's with their family or on business. He hopes to get this program initiative set off some time in November. So we could have more of them come this fall.
COSTELLO: Well, I'm sure all the fliers hope so, as well.
Jennifer Coggiola live from Reagan National this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
