Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman airport security is one of the most important concerns in the public's mind. Nearly a decade ago, there were a number of incidents involving airport and aviation security, including hijackings, the carrying of weapons on board aircraft, and other lapses that give cause for great concern to those of us who fly. Several years ago when I was chair of the Government Operations Subcommittee on Transportation, we held numerous hearings on lax security procedures at our Nation's airports. During those investigations, we found that doors to ramps leading to airplanes were often not locked. That unauthorized person had easy access to the tarmac. We found that it was extraordinarily easy for weapons to be smuggled onto aircraft because security personnel were often lax, inadequately trained and/or supervised. We brought these facts to light, and as a result there is much better security at our Nation's airports today. What would happen if we couldn't require local communities to improve their airport security unless the Federal Government paid all of the tab? Perhaps many, or most, of them would simply ignore sound security measures. Isn't this an issue that is comparable to national security? I believe it is. This is not an issue which pertains just to Chicago, where I am from, and its O'Hare Airport. Airport and aviation safety is an issue for all of us who fly any place.”