Frank Lautenberg: “What are we doing with the baggage screeners? We transferred 28,000 of those folks, took them off the line, gave them a…”

“What are we doing with the baggage screeners? We transferred 28,000 of those folks, took them off the line, gave them a raise in pay, took them away from the private handlers and said, No, we want to know our baggage is being thoroughly inspected. I also remind the Senator in the CR which looms directly in front of us, there is no provision for increased funding for the aviation bill. When we see what is happening in southern California, our hearts go out to them. The air is full of smog. There is smoke all over the place. You need people on the ground who know exactly how to direct those flights to make sure they travel at appropriate intervals. When we had the hurricane on the east coast, we had to make sure we were conscious of the fact that weather changes were looming in front of us. This is a different world than we used to know. What a time it would be to turn all of this over to private hands. Security on the cheap? I know the Senator from Mississippi doesn't really think that is a good idea.”