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American Morning

Compromise Airline Security Bill Goes to Congress Today

Aired November 16, 2001 - 09:05   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to safety in the skies. More than two months after the September 11th attacks, lawmakers have finally mapped out a compromise plan on how to improve airport security. Today, both the Senate and House are expected to approve the bill, then send it on to the president.

Congressional Correspondent Kate Snow is on duty on Capitol Hill with more. Good morning, Kate. What is the buzz there?.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Paula. The buzz is that this ill will pass the Senate later this morning, and then, followed a passage in the House. Leaders predicting very swift passage -- overwhelming support from everyone on this compromised proposal that they essentially worked out yesterday. It would mean sweeping changes at the nation's airports. Essentially what Democrats and many Senators had been pushing for is what this bill calls for.

It would bring in federal employees at almost all airports in the nation, with the exception of five airports of various sizes, where test programs using private security companies would be run at just those five airports. Now, after three years, all airports would have the ability to opt out of the federal employee system if they wanted to go to a private system or to one using local or state law enforcement. That's something Republicans had asked for.

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SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MINORITY LEADER: This is the key that, I think, brought about the final agreement. There will be an opportunity to opt out. If Jackson International Airport wants to opt out of the system, and go to an airport-operated system, a private system or local law enforcement people, they will have a way to do that. And if, you know, Rapid City, South Dakota wants to do it a different way, they will have that opportunity. Now, it will -- it will take some time, and we'll have to go through a process. The important thing is, this sets the process in place. We get started now, not in a month, not in two months, but now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: But even Secretary Mineta acknowledges that, given the fact that airports will go to this new federal employee system and be with that system for at least three years, it's unlikely that many airports will then want to opt out of that system. Democrats saying that it's going to take some time to phase all of this in, a matter of months before we'll see federal airport -- federal employees working at the nation's airports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: The phase in that -- that we anticipate will take several months, also anticipates that we can't do this overnight. That we are going to have to keep in place the current infrastructure as we slowly put in the -- the federal government regulation as well as the federal government personnel. That can't be done tomorrow. It can be done over time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: But what could happen tomorrow is the president could sign this bill, and new federal standards do go into effect, Paula, the minute the president signs this bill. What does that mean? That means that then security screeners would have to be U.S. citizens. They would have to undergo background checks and have no criminal backgrounds. Some of those provisions, many are saying, would mean that a lot of the people that are currently doing security screening might be out of a job. Those people might be moved out very soon -- very soon down the road and replaced by federal agents in the interim before they can bring in these brand new federal employees. Paula, back to you.

ZAHN: We know you have a very busy day ahead, staying on top all of this. We will let you go. Thanks so much for that update.

Will the new security measures, in fact, make airports more secure? Joining me now from Capitol Hill is Texas Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Welcome, good to have you with us this morning Senator.

SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON (R), TEXAS: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: So, do you predict you predict easy passage of this in both the Senate and the House? .

HUTCHINSON: Yes, it will get easy passage. We worked a long time to work these two bills out. They were very different. It was contentious, but, in the end, I think everybody felt good. And everybody knows the security is going to meet a much higher standard now.

ZAHN: And is it your understanding the White House is 100 percent comfortable with this compromise?

HUTCHINSON: Absolutely.

ZAHN: And what didn't you get that you wanted in this final version of the bill?

HUTCHINSON: Well, two things. I thought it was very important that we put a comprehensive, integrated system in place. So you're going to have the screeners, the supervisors train together under one system. They will have a communications network, that I think will be seamless. Secondly you will have all baggage that's checked screened now. I thought it was very important that the baggage that goes in the belly of the airplane also be screened, and that is going to be done on an immediate basis, as soon as possible, but no later than 60 days.

ZAHN: So is there anything you wanted that you didn't get in this legislation?

HUTCHINSON: Well, yes. I thought the Department of Justice was the Senate position, we are in the Department of Transportation, with a semi-autonomous head of a security division of the Transportation Department. Secondly, you know, I thought all federal screeners throughout the system was probably best, but there will be opt out after three years, after these systems are in place, if an airport wants to go to private screeners. So, you know, I think we did compromise, but I think that we have a much stronger security system that will be going into place. And I think the American public, certainly, will begin to see those changes immediately.

ZAHN: Yeah. What is the bottom line for the American public? What is the most obvious change they're going to notice if they decided to fly over the holiday weekend? Or is it going to be way after that they'll begin to see the changes?

HUTCHINSON: Over the holiday weekend, they will see temporary personnel doing some of the things that we're going to permanentise. For instance, the National Guard has been brought in. We intend to put federal security supervisors in the place of the National Guard. Secondly, they're going to know that their bags are going to be screened, whether they are carrying them on board or whether they're underneath, in the belly of the airplane, and I think that should make people feel a whole lot better.

ZAHN: Senator Hutchinson, good of you to join us.

HUTCHINSON: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: We know you've got a lot of work to do later today. Thank you.

HUTCHINSON: Going to pass that bill today. Thank you.

ZAHN: We will be watching you. We will be covering that live probably. Thank you again for your time. Happy holiday.

HUTCHINSON: Thank you. Thanks.

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