Burgess Owens: “The airport security issue and the issue of the stimulus package really cannot be separated. They go together, and…”

“The airport security issue and the issue of the stimulus package really cannot be separated. They go together, and common sense would tell us this. We have just heard one of my colleagues say that the airline industry is 10 percent of the economy. If that industry does not get moving again, and timing is very important here, we are approaching Thanksgiving which is the time of the year that most people travel; if they do not pick up the habit of traveling by air again by Thanksgiving and we do not have a break in this fear of airline travel, we might have a mindset that develops that will make it difficult for the airline industry for a long, long time to come. Mr. Speaker, we cannot wait forever. There is a need for immediate action here and, of course, that need for airport security stimulates the economy, not only the airline industry, but of course we know the gaming industry, the restaurant industry, the hotel industry, the tourism industry, all of this is related to moving the airline industry so, again, airport security is vital.”