Joseph Knollenberg: “simply making an airport baggage and passenger screener a Federal employee will not make airports safer. Tougher…”

“simply making an airport baggage and passenger screener a Federal employee will not make airports safer. Tougher standards and strict Federal oversight will make airports safer; and that is exactly what this act does, the one we have up today. The American public needs to regain its confidence in flying. How will they do that if we do not have the ability to discipline or remove screeners who are not performing? How will they regain confidence if we cannot equip personnel with superior technology? And how will they regain that confidence if qualified retired Federal workers, such as Federal marshals, are unable to be hired because they will have to sacrifice their retirement benefits and their health care benefits? The answer is they will not. The Secure Transportation for America Act gives the administration the flexibility that they need to have the best possible employees screening passengers and baggage. The American people deserve no less.”