James Oberstar: “I think we have here an extraordinary product that will serve the American people well for decades to come. No longer…”

“I think we have here an extraordinary product that will serve the American people well for decades to come. No longer are we going to try and buy security on the cheap, driven by the airlines who were fatally conflicted between keeping down costs, not overly concerning or inconveniencing passengers or their baggage, and then, as sort of an afterthought, trying to provide good security. Security in this bill comes first, and it will forever more come first without being driven by cost concerns. It will be cost-effective. It is fiscally responsible. It will be paid for in good part by a shared burden between the airlines and the flying public. But it will not be security on the cheap. It will be the best technology, it will be better-trained and -paid people who will be alert at the screening checkpoints. It will envelop the entire airport in a new security envelope.”