Vernon Ehlers: “I take four airplane flights a week. As many Members of Congress do, I fly home every weekend, two segments each time.…”

“I take four airplane flights a week. As many Members of Congress do, I fly home every weekend, two segments each time. So I am very familiar with security requirements and that what we have had has not worked. Our purpose now is to make sure, number one, that we centralize responsibility; number two, that we have one play book that applies to all the rules, and that that play book works and is kept up-to-date. That means that we should put all the responsibility in one location for all modes of transportation. We need something that is flexible, that is innovative, that can be changed and modified to meet circumstances as they change. We want something that is nonpartisan. We are sorry that the Senate bill became a partisan bill by advocating just one particular position. The House bill will allow the President to choose whether these should be Federal employees or whether these should be contracted out. I just want to say, I believe the bill that will be before us tomorrow is a fair and good way to approach the issue of aviation security. It will get away from partisan wrangling. It will ensure that the traveling public will be safe and secure.”