Political Quotes

“While the Federal Air Marshals Service, known as FAMS, does and certainly will continue to provide an additional layer in aviation security, the committee saw an opportunity in this bill to strike a balance and achieve some savings in a program that, before this year, had been growing rapidly. FAMS deployment surged following the 9/11 attacks and again following the 2009 Christmas Day bombing attempts. Exactly how they are deployed, and how many there are cannot be discussed in open session. However, it is possible to note that many other security measures have been put into place since both of those events took place. Intensified screening, new and more capable intelligence, information sharing, a more secure cockpit, and the expansion of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program are examples of steps taken to secure aviation that reduce the need to rely on FAMS on routes that do not represent the highest threat potential. {time} 2130 The bill takes these security improvements into account and focuses on funding to cover the top priority routes based on threat, whether domestic or whether international. The bill also fully funds the FFDO program, which complements FAMs, and in some cases it is the only security element on board. In addition, the report directs the TSA and the FAMs to look again at how to include other Federal law enforcement agents working with them.…”