[House Hearing, 117 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
CONCEALED CARRY-ONS: CONFRONTING THE SURGE IN FIREARMS AT TSA
CHECKPOINTS
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
TRANSPORTATION AND
MARITIME SECURITY
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
FEBRUARY 15, 2022
__________
Serial No. 117-44
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
47-517 PDF WASHINGTON : 2022
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi, Chairman
Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas John Katko, New York
James R. Langevin, Rhode Island Michael T. McCaul, Texas
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey Clay Higgins, Louisiana
J. Luis Correa, California Michael Guest, Mississippi
Elissa Slotkin, Michigan Dan Bishop, North Carolina
Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey
Al Green, Texas Ralph Norman, South Carolina
Yvette D. Clarke, New York Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa
Eric Swalwell, California Diana Harshbarger, Tennessee
Dina Titus, Nevada Andrew S. Clyde, Georgia
Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida
Kathleen M. Rice, New York Jake LaTurner, Kansas
Val Butler Demings, Florida Peter Meijer, Michigan
Nanette Diaz Barragan, California Kat Cammack, Florida
Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey August Pfluger, Texas
Elaine G. Luria, Virginia Andrew R. Garbarino, New York
Tom Malinowski, New Jersey
Ritchie Torres, New York
Hope Goins, Staff Director
Daniel Kroese, Minority Staff Director
Natalie Nixon, Clerk
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SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND MARITIME SECURITY
Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey, Chairwoman
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida,
Dina Titus, Nevada Ranking Member
Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey
Elaine G. Luria, Virginia Ralph Norman, South Carolina
Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi (ex Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa
officio) John Katko, New York (ex officio)
Alex Marston, Subcomittee Staff Director
Kathryn Maxwell, Minority Subcomittee Staff Director
Alice Hayes, Subcomittee Clerk
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Statements
The Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Representative in Congress
From the State of New Jersey, and Chairwoman, Subcommittee on
Transportation and Maritime Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 1
Prepared Statement............................................. 2
The Honorable Carlos A. Gimenez, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Florida, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
Transportation and Maritime Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 3
Prepared Statement............................................. 4
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Mississippi, and Chairman, Committee on
Homeland Security:
Prepared Statement............................................. 5
Witnesses
Mr. Balram Bheodari, General Manager, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport:
Oral Statement................................................. 6
Prepared Statement............................................. 7
Mr. Greg Regan, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-
CIO:
Oral Statement................................................. 8
Prepared Statement............................................. 10
Mr. Jason Wallis, Chief of Police, Port of Portland:
Oral Statement................................................. 13
Prepared Statement............................................. 15
Mr. Ralph Cutie, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Miami
International Airport:
Oral Statement................................................. 16
Prepared Statement............................................. 18
CONCEALED CARRY-ONS: CONFRONTING THE SURGE IN FIREARMS AT TSA
CHECKPOINTS
----------
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Subcommittee on Transportation
and Maritime Security,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:02 p.m., via
Webex, Hon. Bonnie Watson Coleman [Chairwoman of the
subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Watson Coleman, Payne, Titus,
Gimenez, and Miller-Meeks.
Also present: Representative Jackson Lee.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. The Subcommittee on
Transportation and Maritime Security will come to order for
today's hearing titled, ``Concealed Carry-ons: Confronting the
Surge in Firearms in TSA Checkpoints.'' Without objection, the
Chair is authorized to declare the subcommittee in recess at
any point.
Thank you to our witnesses for joining us today to discuss
the surging number of firearms at TSA checkpoints.
Unfortunately, this topic could not be more timely. Last year,
TSA caught nearly 6,000 firearms at checkpoints Nation-wide. A
new and unprecedented record. That is an average of 16 guns
that TSA prevented from boarding a plane each day. Most
disturbingly, 86 percent of those guns were loaded.
In 2020, TSA caught 10 firearms per million passengers
screened, compared to 5 per million in 2019. On a per-passenger
basis, that is a 100 percent increase in just 1 year. The good
news is that TSA has a talented work force and top-notch
technologies that are keeping us safe. But the bad news is that
it only takes a single gun slipping through for tragedy to
ensure--ensue--I am sorry. The deadly consequences of a
hijacker bringing a loaded firearm on a plane are not difficult
to imagine.
Even when TSA successfully interdicts a weapon,
transportation workers and the traveling public face dangers.
Just a few months ago in Atlanta, a passenger accidently
discharged his firearm at a checkpoint, resulting in chaos,
injuries, and flight delays. Of course, we cannot forget the
horrific incidences involving gunmen deliberately targeting
airports.
We honor the memory of Gerardo Hernandez, who was a TSO in
Los Angeles, who was shot for simply doing his job and died in
the line of duty. We also remember 5 people who were killed
standing at a baggage claim in Fort Lauderdale. This status quo
is simply unacceptable. The increase in unruly passenger
incidents alongside the increase in firearms injected into the
aviation environment make for a toxic combination. We need to
explore a range of solutions to keep guns off planes and away
from the TSA checkpoints.
An important piece of this conversation is raising
awareness of the laws on the books. Responsible firearm owners
follow the law. They know that if you want to fly with a
firearm, you can declare it to the airline and ship it in your
checked baggage. Yet time and again when TSA catches passengers
with guns in their carry-on, most passengers say they forget
their gun was even in their bag. In those cases, TSA and
airports can play an important role in educating passengers.
Prominent and consistent signage and expanded public awareness
campaigns can very well ensure everyone knows the rules and
that responsible firearm owners will follow established
procedures.
TSA can and should also explore steps to increase
deterrence. To that end, I am looking forward to hearing our
witnesses' thoughts on the sufficiency of the current fines,
the PreCheck suspensions, and other consequences TSA imposes on
passengers bringing firearms to checkpoints. Bringing a firearm
to a checkpoint is a Federal crime. If you intend to bring a
gun on a plane, you can go to prison for it. But intent is very
hard for prosecutors to prove, which is why it is so important
that TSA use the regulatory tools at its disposal to make
passengers think twice before packing that weapon in their
carry-on.
This should not be a partisan issue. This is not about gun
control, but about aviation security. We must all stand
together in support of keeping loaded pistols off planes. TSA
has an impressive record of catching firearms, but we have gone
from approximately 1,000 firearms found at checkpoints in 2010
to nearly 6,000 last year. This is a six-fold increase in
little more than a decade. If and when something unthinkable
happens, we can hardly act surprised. It simply should not take
a tragedy, whether it is a hijacking or an accidental discharge
that claims a life, to trigger action.
I stand ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of
the aisle, and for witnesses today to keep our aviation system
secure. Our panel brings important perspectives to this
conversation. The surge in firearms at TSA checkpoints disrupts
airport operations, endangers the front-line work force and
travelers, and diverts law enforcement resources from where
they are needed. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses
on how we can all work together to solve this challenge.
[The statement of Chairwoman Watson Coleman follows:]
Statement of Chairwoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
Thank you to our witnesses for joining us today to discuss the
surging number of firearms at TSA checkpoints. Unfortunately, this
topic could not be more timely.
Last year, TSA caught nearly 6,000 firearms at checkpoints Nation-
wide--a new and unprecedented record. That's an average of 16 guns that
TSA prevented from boarding a plane each day. Most disturbingly, 86
percent of these guns were loaded.
In 2020, TSA caught 10 firearms per million passengers screened,
compared to 5 per million in 2019. On a per-passenger basis, that's a
100 percent increase in just 1 year.
The good news is that TSA has a talented workforce and top-notch
technologies that are keeping us safe. But the bad news is that it only
takes a single gun slipping through for tragedy to ensue. The deadly
consequences of a hijacker bringing a loaded firearm on a plane are not
difficult to imagine.
Even when TSA successfully interdicts a weapon, transportation
workers and the traveling public face dangers. Just a few months ago in
Atlanta, a passenger accidentally discharged his firearm at a
checkpoint--resulting in chaos, injuries, and flight delays.
And of course, we cannot forget the horrific incidents involving
gunmen deliberately targeting airports.
We honor the memory of Gerardo Hernandez, a TSO in Los Angeles who
was shot for simply doing his job and died in the line of duty. We also
remember the 5 people who were killed standing at a baggage claim in
Fort Lauderdale.
The status quo is simply unacceptable. The increase in unruly
passenger incidents alongside the increase in firearms injected into
the aviation environment make for a toxic combination. We need to
explore a range of solutions to keep guns off planes and away from TSA
checkpoints.
An important piece of this conversation is raising awareness of the
laws on the books. Responsible firearm owners follow the law. They know
that if you want to fly with a firearm, you can declare it to the
airline and ship it in your checked baggage.
Yet time and time again, when TSA catches passengers with guns in
their carry-on, most passengers say they forgot their gun was in their
bag.
In those cases, TSA and airports can play an important role in
educating passengers. Prominent and consistent signage--and expanded
public awareness campaigns--can ensure everyone knows the rules, and
that responsible firearm owners follow established procedures.
TSA can and should also explore steps to increase deterrence. To
that end, I am looking forward to hearing our witnesses' thoughts on
the sufficiency of the current fines, PreCheck suspensions, and other
consequences TSA imposes on passengers bringing firearms to
checkpoints.
Bringing a firearm to a checkpoint is a Federal crime. If you
intend to bring a gun on a plane, you can go to prison for it. But
intent is very hard for prosecutors to prove, which is why it is so
important that TSA use the regulatory tools at its disposal to make
passengers think twice before packing that weapon in their carry-on.
This should not be a partisan issue. This is not about gun control,
but about aviation security. We must all stand together in support of
keeping loaded pistols off planes.
TSA has an impressive record of catching firearms, but we have gone
from approximately 1,000 firearms found at checkpoints in 2010 to
nearly 6,000 last year. That is a six-fold increase in little more than
a decade. If and when something unthinkable happens, we can hardly act
surprised.
And it simply should not take a tragedy--whether it's a hijacking
or an accidental discharge that claims a life--to trigger action.
I stand ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle, and our witnesses today, to keep our aviation system secure.
Our panel brings important perspectives to this conversation. The
surge in firearms at TSA checkpoints disrupts airport operations,
endangers the front-line workforce and travelers, and diverts law
enforcement resources from where they are needed. I look forward to
hearing from our witnesses on how we can all work together to solve
this challenge.
With that, I now recognize the Ranking Member of the subcommittee,
the gentleman from Florida, for an opening statement.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. With that, I now recognize the
Ranking Member of our subcommittee, the gentleman from Florida,
for an opening statement, Mr. Gimenez.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you. Thank you so much, Chairwoman
Watson Coleman, for holding this hearing today.
There has been a concerning rise in the number of firearms
that TSA officers have found in airport security checkpoints
Nation-wide. As we saw recently at the Atlanta airport, a
passenger with a firearm accidently discharged their gun at the
checkpoint, injuring other travelers and creating mass chaos
and confusion at the terminal. Passengers evacuated onto the
tarmac. Flight arrivals and departures were grounded and the
individual who fired the weapon was able to escape the airport
and remain on the run for over a week.
I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today on how a
security incident like the one in Atlanta can be prevented in
the future. It is important for us to learn so that we can and
must improve the airport, TSA, and law enforcement responses.
The recent incident in Atlanta and overall rise in the number
of discovered firearms Nationally highlights the constantly-
evolving threat to our aviation system. I agree with our
Chairwoman this is not a gun control issue. This is an
education issue. You know, we need to work, both sides need to
work, to try to prevent this to make our airports safer.
TSA must ensure that its work force has what it needs in
next generation computed tomography technology to accurately
find firearms and other prohibited items in carry-on bags. TSA
cannot continue to delay and slow walk this needed investment
in airport checkpoints Nation-wide. Our dedicated
transportation security officers continue to protect the
traveling public day in and day out. They deserve better pay
that is reflective of the immense value that they provide to
our aviation system.
I thank all the witnesses for being here today, especially
Ralph Cutie from Miami Dade County who runs my home airport,
Miami International Airport. Pre-pandemic, the airport saw over
47 million passengers annually. I look forward to our business
and international travel resuming to the 2019 levels in the
very near future. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
[The statement of Ranking Member Gimenez follows:]
Statement of Ranking Member Carlos Gimenez
Thank you, Chairwoman Watson Coleman, for holding this hearing
today.
There has been a concerning rise in the number of firearms that TSA
officers have found at airport security checkpoints Nation-wide. As we
saw recently at the Atlanta airport, a passenger with a firearm
accidently discharged their gun at the checkpoint, injuring other
travelers and creating mass chaos and confusion in the terminal.
Passengers evacuated onto the tarmac, flight arrivals and departures
were grounded, and the individual who fired the weapon was able to
escape the airport and remain on the run for over a week. I look
forward to hearing from the witnesses today on how a security incident
like the one in Atlanta can be prevented in the future. It is important
for us to learn what can and must be improved in the airport, TSA, and
law enforcement responses.
The recent incident in Atlanta and overall rise in the number of
discovered firearms Nationally highlights the constantly-evolving
threat to our aviation system. TSA must ensure that its workforce has
what it needs in next-generation Computed Tomography technology to
accurately find firearms and other prohibited items in carry-on bags.
TSA cannot continue to delay and slow-walk this needed investment to
airport checkpoints Nation-wide.
Our dedicated Transportation Security Officers continue protect the
traveling public, day in and day out. They deserve better pay that is
reflective of the immense value they provide to our aviation system.
I thank all the witnesses for being here today, especially Ralph
Cutie, who runs my home airport of Miami. Pre-pandemic, the airport saw
over 47 million passengers annually and I look forward to our business
and international travel resuming to 2019 levels in the very near
future.
Thank you, Madame Chairwoman, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you very much, Ranking
Member Gimenez. The Chair would recognize the Chairman of the
committee, Mr. Thompson, if he is on? Not seeing Mr. Thompson,
we recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Katko, if he is on? Not
seeing Mr. Katko. Members are reminded that the committee will
operate according to the guidelines laid out by the Chairman
and the Ranking Member in their February 3, 2021, colloquy
regarding remote procedures. Additional Member statements may
be provided for the record.
[The statement of Chairman Thompson follows:]
Statement of Chairman Bennie G. Thompson
Thank you to Chairwoman Watson Coleman and Ranking Member Gimenez
for holding this hearing today, and to each of our witnesses for
sharing their expertise.
As front-line workers have put their health and lives on the line
to protect our Nation during a global pandemic, it is our duty to
ensure their safety from gun violence.
Even with significantly lower passenger volume due to the COVID-19
pandemic, TSA detected twice as many firearms per passenger screened at
security checkpoints in 2020 compared to 2019.
These numbers continued to rise as Americans resumed traveling
more, with nearly 6,000 firearms found in 2021. That is a shocking and
alarming rise in dangerous weapons found at airports across the Nation.
While most passengers may have brought their firearm accidentally,
these weapons nevertheless present a very real danger to transportation
security officers, the traveling public, and our transportation system.
Consistently, more than 80 percent of firearms found have been loaded.
At best, the presence of so many undeclared, unsecured guns creates
serious disruptions at security checkpoints. At worst, these firearms
could prove incredibly dangerous.
Just last November, at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport--
where I travel through regularly--a firearm was accidentally discharged
during screening.
Thankfully, no one was hit with a bullet, but the incident created
chaos throughout the terminal and exemplified the risks posed by the
presence of so many guns at TSA checkpoints.
I am a hunter myself, and I recognize the right gun owners have to
transport firearms. But passengers who wish to travel with a firearm
must follow proper procedures for transporting them unloaded and locked
away in their checked baggage.
Congress and TSA must do everything possible to make gun owners
aware of the legal ways to transport firearms and deter them from
bringing firearms to screening checkpoints.
We must all work together to curb the rise in firearm incidents, or
there could be deadly consequences.
I look forward to learning more about actions Congress can take to
reverse the dangerous rise in firearms at TSA checkpoints and ensure
American passengers leave their firearms at home when they fly.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. I now welcome our panel of
witnesses. Our first witness is Mr. Balram Bheodari. I do hope
I did not bastardize that name. Please correct me when you get
a chance to speak. Mr. Bheodari is the general manager of the
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Previously,
he was the chief operating officer for the Houston airport
system, and he has served with distinction for 22 years in the
U.S. Army. Thank you for your service, sir.
Next, we have Mr. Greg Regan who serves as president of the
Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, a labor
organization consisting of 33 unions across the transportation
sector. Included among TTD's members are transportation and
security officers, flight attendants, pilots, ticket agents,
and other transportation workers. Mr. Regan previously served
as TTD's secretary treasurer.
I would also like to welcome Mr. Jason Wallis, the
president of ALEAN, the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies
Network. He also serves as the chief of police for the Port of
Portland, Oregon, where he has worked to secure Portland
International Airport for over 2 decades.
Finally, we will hear from Mr. Ralph Cutie. I hope I didn't
mess that up too badly either. The director and chief executive
officer of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, where he has
also served in a variety of other senior roles.
Without objection, the witnesses' full statements will be
inserted in the record. I now recognize each witness to
summarize his or her statement for 5 minutes, beginning with
Mr. Bheodari.
STATEMENT OF BALRAM BHEODARI, GENERAL MANAGER, HARTSFIELD-
JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Mr. Bheodari. Good afternoon, Chairman Watson Coleman,
Ranking Member Gimenez, Members of the subcommittee, Chairman
Thompson, Ranking Member Katko, and Members of the full
committee. Thank you for inviting me to speak today about this
especially important issue. We appreciate the committee's
support of Atlanta airport and your commitment to airport
safety.
I am Balram Bheodari, general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport, known as ATL. On behalf of Mayor
Andre Dickens, I am honored to appear before this subcommittee
to provide our perspective on reducing the number of firearms
at our screening checkpoints.
The team at ATL knows first-hand just how serious this
issue is. On Saturday, November 20, 2021, a passenger presented
his carry-on bag for inspection at the main domestic security
checkpoint. When his bag was selected for secondary screening,
he reached into the bag and grabbed his weapon. The weapon
discharged once. Passengers at the security queue
understandably ran for cover. Social media posts described
multiple gunshots and an active shooter. That was not the case.
Our law enforcement team responded immediately and very
quickly secured the scene. Our response and ability to return
operations to normal in a timely manner speaks volumes about
ATL preparedness. However, it also reenforces the challenges
posed by the increased presence of weapons at security
screening locations.
In 2019, more than 824 million passengers were screened
Nation-wide, and 4,400 weapons were found at TSA checkpoints
that year. However, in 2021, TSA screened 585 million
passengers and discovered a whopping 5,972 firearms at
checkpoints. Some 86 percent of those guns were loaded. Five
hundred seven of those guns were discovered in Atlanta in 2021.
Clearly, this is an issue that needs to be addressed
Nation-wide. Why are so many guns retrieved at our checkpoints?
The first answer reflects a bit of good news. It highlights the
exceptional work of our dedicated TSA officers. It is their job
to ensure the safety of the flying public, and through their
diligence and advances in screening technology, they are doing
precisely that.
The increase in firearms at checkpoints is a function of an
individual gun owner's lack of responsibility be it
forgetfulness or a misguided belief that weapons will not be
discovered. We must continue to inform and educate the public
about firearms rules and regulations.
In collaboration, we at ATL have take substantial steps to
bring attention to this issue. Partnering with the airlines and
security and law enforcement agencies at the local, State, and
Federal levels, we have amplified our messaging to increase
public awareness that includes training our staff with
appropriate instructions to passenger in queue and installing
dynamic and static signage with increased message frequency. We
also have shared gun restriction messaging with share ride
operators and local media outlets to remind passengers that
guns are not allowed at airport checkpoints.
What more can we do? There are 4 elements we recommend for
further exploration. First, strengthen the penalty of violators
by reviewing the existing fine structure. Next, have violators
attend mandatory gun safety training. Third, consider the
options of including violators on the No-Fly list until
training is complete. Finally, assess the possible suspension
of trusted travel privilege for violators.
In partnership, we are consistently examining ways to
inform and educate and focus intently on reducing firearms
brought to ATL's screening checkpoints. Again, we appreciate
the subcommittee attention to this issue and your commitment to
improving the safety of our Nation's airports. Thank you for
your time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bheodari follows:]
Prepared Statement of Balram Bheodari
February 15, 2022
Chairwoman Coleman, Ranking Member Gimenez, Members of the
subcommittee, Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Katko, and Members of
the full committee, thank you for inviting me to speak today about this
especially important issue. We appreciate the committee's support of
Atlanta's airport and your commitment to airport safety.
I am Balram Bheodari, general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport (ATL). On behalf of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens,
I am honored to appear before this subcommittee to provide ATL's
perspective on reducing the number of firearms at our screening
checkpoints.
The team at ATL knows first-hand just how serious this issue is.
On Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 1:22 p.m., a passenger presented
his carry-on bag for inspection at the Main Domestic Security
Checkpoint. His bag was selected for secondary screening, and during
that process, he reached into the bag and grabbed his weapon. The
weapon discharged--once--and passengers in the security queue
understandably ran for cover. Social media posts of the incident began
almost instantaneously, some of them describing multiple gunshots and
an active shooter at the airport.
That was not the case.
Our law enforcement team responded immediately, and very quickly
secured the scene. Our response to this incident and our ability to
return operations to normal in a timely manner speaks volumes about
ATL's preparedness. However, it also reinforces the challenges posed by
the increased presence of weapons at security screening locations.
In 2019, more than 824 million passengers were screened Nation-
wide, and 4,400 weapons were found at TSA checkpoints that year.
However, in 2021, TSA officers screened 585 million passengers and
discovered 5,972 firearms at checkpoints. Some 86 percent of those guns
were loaded.
Clearly, this is an issue that needs to be addressed Nation-wide.
The question must be asked--why are so many guns retrieved at our
checkpoints? The first answer reflects a bit of good news. It
highlights the exceptional work of our dedicated TSA officers. It is
their job to ensure the safety of the flying public, and--through their
diligence and advances in screening technology--they are doing
precisely that.
We contend that the increase in firearm confiscation is a function
of an individual gun owner's lack of responsibility. Be it
forgetfulness or a misguided belief that weapons will not be
discovered. We must continue to inform and educate the public about
applicable firearm rules and regulations.
In collaboration, we at ATL have taken substantial steps to bring
attention to this issue.
We have partnered with airlines and with security and law
enforcement agencies at the local, State, and Federal levels to
expand messaging and increase public awareness.
We have expanded our own messaging in three different
channels:
First, staff have been trained on the growing issue of guns
at checkpoints. Their scripted message to passengers in queue
has been modified to include this reminder: ``Please check your
bag for any firearms.''
Next, we have incorporated dynamic and static signage with
increased message frequency.
And finally, we have shared gun restriction messaging with
rideshare operators and local media outlets, reminding
passengers that guns are not allowed at airport checkpoints.
What more can be done?
There are 4 elements we recommend for further exploration:
First, strengthen the penalties for violators by reviewing
the existing fine structure.
Next, have violators attend mandatory gun safety training.
Third, consider the option of including violators on the
``No Fly'' list until training is complete.
And finally, assess the possible suspension of trusted
travel privileges for violators.
In partnership, we are consistently examining ways to inform and
educate, and focus intently on reducing firearms brought to ATL's
screening checkpoints. We appreciate the subcommittee's attention to
this issue and your commitment to improving the safety of our Nation's
airports.
Thank you for your time.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Mr. Bheodari. Thank
you for your thoughtful recommendations that we will take under
consideration. We would now like to recognize Mr. Regan to
summarize his statement for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF GREG REGAN, PRESIDENT, TRANSPORTATION TRADES
DEPARTMENT, AFL-CIO
Mr. Regan. Thank you and good afternoon Chair Watson
Coleman and Ranking Member Gimenez. Thank you for inviting me
to testify on the alarming increase in firearms confiscated at
TSA security checkpoints.
I speak on behalf of 36 unions who represent America's
front-line transportation work force. Many of those unions
represent passenger-facing workers across the entire aviation
sector, including pilots, flight attendants, passenger service
agents, and most critical for today's hearing, transportation
security officers who are responsible for ensuring the safety
and security of our entire aviation system.
This hearing could not come at a more important time, both
for the health and safety of front-line aviation workers and
for the general public on-board aircraft and on the ground. As
this committee is well aware, COVID has driven tension in
airports and aboard airplanes to an all-time high. In 2021, the
FAA reported a record 5,981 incidents of unruly passenger
behavior. This behavior has been directed at TSOs themselves,
as well as passenger service agents, flight crew, and other
airline and airport workers. In many cases, these employees
have been physically assaulted resulting in broken bones, lost
teeth, and long-term injuries that have often prevented them
from returning to work.
While this behavior is absolutely unacceptable on its own
and Congress and the administration must do more to protect
these employees, it is paramount that the current crisis of
assaults does not escalate even further to the point of gun
violence. As the Chair mentioned earlier, right now
demonstrates just how real this threat is with 6,000 guns
confiscated over the last year at security checkpoints. Eighty-
six percent of those were loaded and many of them had a round
in the chamber. That broke the previous confiscation record set
in 2019 by approximately 1,500 weapons. It came at a time when
domestic travel was still below what it was at pre-pandemic
levels.
This spike in confiscated firearms underscores the
essential role of TSOs in maintaining aviation safety. We
support efforts by local law enforcement, airport authorities,
and the Federal Government to remind passengers of their legal
obligations concerning their firearms. But it ultimately falls
on the shoulders of TSOs to identify and confiscate weapons at
these checkpoints.
There is no action response or antidote to the current
surge in illegal passenger-carried firearms more effective than
a well-trained and well-treated TSO work force. To ensure we
meet this goal, TTD and our affiliated unions make the
following recommendations. First, we call for the passage of
the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act of
2021, which would put TSOs on equal footing with other Federal
employees by providing workplace rights and protections under
Title 5, access to the Merit Systems Protection Board, and GS
pay scale with regular step increases.
TSOs currently report the second-lowest job satisfaction of
any DHS subagency. Only 32 percent of TSOs are satisfied with
their pay rate. Providing these critical security employees
with basic Federal work force protections and a fair pay scale
are important first steps toward improving morale, decreasing
turnover rates, and strengthening our security work force. I
want to thank the full committee Chairman Thompson for his
long-standing leadership on this important bill and to those of
you who are among the 227 bipartisan cosponsors during this
Congress.
Congress must also ensure that TSA has the resources it
needs to carry out its mission. That is why we call for passage
of the FASTER Act, which would prevent the continued diversion
of aviation security fee revenue for non-security purposes, and
instead, ensure that these funds are used as intended, to
strengthen the operational capabilities of TSA and its work
force.
At the same time, Congress and TSA must not take steps
backward. Efforts to privatize the TSA and hand over
fundamentally Governmental duties to private operators is not a
security-first solution. TSA was created after 9/11 when
Congress and security experts alike recognized that the
existing hodgepodge of private screening operations throughout
the country created vulnerabilities in our system.
Privatization efforts willfully ignore the painful lessons
learned over 20 years ago.
We are also deeply concerned that TSA's recent announcement
that it will introduce non-certified ``security support
assistance'' into the security checkpoint may have the opposite
of the intended effect on security and situational awareness.
Given the influx of firearms, the airport passenger screening
work force must be at its most effective. Neither of those
initiatives will contribute to this goal.
Finally, as TSA considers how to respond to the spike in
firearms and other security threats, we call on the agency to
involve representatives of airline and airport employees in the
safety and security process. TSA has not permitted
representatives of these employees to serve as ``regulated
parties'' in certain TSA proceedings denying the agency of
critical information from the front lines.
I, again, caution this committee not to take steps that
undermine critical safety workers in this country, but to
instead focus your efforts on providing TSOs with the training
and the quality work environment that they need and deserve to
protect themselves, other transportation workers, and the
traveling public. Thank you and I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Regan follows:]
Prepared Statement of Greg Regan
February 15, 2022
On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD)
and our 36 affiliated unions, I first want to thank Chairwoman Watson
Coleman and Ranking Member Gimenez for inviting me to testify before
the committee on this increasing threat to airport security. TTD member
unions represent passenger-facing workers throughout the aviation
environment, including pilots, flight attendants, passenger service
agents, and Transportation Security Officers (TSOs). Our members rely
on, and are responsible for enforcing, the protocol that passengers
cannot access their firearms while in secure areas of the airport.
guns at work: increased firearm confiscations
As the committee is well aware, the TSA reported the confiscation
of 5,972 guns at checkpoints in 2021, of which approximately 86 percent
were loaded, and ``many of those had ammunition in the chamber.''\1\
This broke the previous confiscation record set in 2019 by
approximately 1,500 weapons, and came at a time in which domestic
enplanements are still below pre-pandemic levels. Given today's airport
environment, in which assaults and interference against airport and
airline staff are also at an all-time high, it is of the utmost
importance that passengers are prevented from illicitly bringing
firearms past TSA security checkpoints.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county/tsa-seizes-
record-number-guns-2021-oia-ranks-top-10/OHYXJNCOZVCIJG22JD2TDZJK24/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This spike in confiscated firearms underscores the essential role
of Transportation Security Officers in maintaining aviation safety.
While we certainly encourage efforts by local law enforcement, airport
authorities, and the Federal Government to remind passengers of their
legal obligations concerning their firearms, it ultimately falls on the
shoulders of TSOs to identify and confiscate weapons at security
checkpoints.
To be clear: There is no action, response, or antidote to the
current surge in illegal passenger-carried firearms more effective than
a well-trained and well-treated TSO workforce. Troublingly, in 2020
TSOs reported the second-lowest job satisfaction of any DHS subagency,
and a meager 32 percent of TSOs reported satisfaction with their pay
rate, compared to 67 percent of employees Government-wide.\2\ In
combination with chronic understaffing, rampant misconduct and
retaliation from TSA managers, and a wave of unruly and violent
passengers, TSOs today are asked to make critical safety decisions in
difficult circumstances. TTD concurs with Administrator Pekoske's view
that the increase in confiscated firearms is likely correlated to
increases in firearm ownership and purchases over the course of the
pandemic, a phenomenon that the TSA has no control over.\3\ However,
there are clear steps that the TSA and Congress can take to ensure that
the TSO workforce is best prepared to respond to security threats at
checkpoints, including the increased presence of firearms in carry-on
baggage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/dhs-2020-
fevs-agency-management-report_3.pdf.
\3\ https://fortune.com/2022/01/13/airport-security-confiscated-
5700-firearms-2021-recordr/.
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the need for congressional action
First, we call on Congress to expeditiously pass the Rights for the
TSA Workforce Act of 2021 (H.R. 903/S. 1856). Since the creation of the
TSA, TSOs have been unfairly denied the same bargaining rights, pay,
and benefits enjoyed by other Federal workers, including their
colleagues at DHS. The legislation would put an end to this unjust two-
tier system by requiring the TSA to provide these workplace rights and
protections under Title 5, granting TSOs access to the Merit Systems
Protection Board, and would place TSOs on the general pay scale with
regular step increases. These reforms would drastically improve working
conditions, morale, and quality of life for TSOs, and are long overdue
measures that would support the long-term health and success of the TSO
workforce.
We also call on Congress to pass the FASTER Act (H.R. 1813/S.
2717). Since 2013, Congress has diverted billions of dollars in
collected aviation security fees and spent these funds on items
unrelated to aviation security. This committee has previously estimated
that more than $19 billion will be diverted by 2027 if no preventive
action is taken. The FASTER Act would end this raiding of security fee
dollars and guarantee that collected revenue goes toward its intended
purposes--to the TSA personnel, training, and equipment that the agency
requires to carry out its safety mission. We thank Chairwoman Watson
Coleman and Ranking Member Gimenez for your support of this
legislation, as well as additional Members of the committee who have
cosponsored the bill. TTD looks forward to working with you to identify
a path to passage of the legislation.
steps backward threaten safety
It is equally important that neither Congress nor the TSA pursue
measures which hamper the TSO workforce and/or degrade airport
security. To that end, we strongly oppose efforts to privatize the TSA
and its security responsibilities. Following 9/11, the TSA was created
and mandated the unified Federal agency to oversee security operations
at our airports. Now, as we confront the clear danger presented by the
wave of firearms showing up at airport security lines, the TSA remains
the best-suited entity to carry out this mission. Efforts to privatize
the TSA whole-cloth, or piecemeal through the creeping expansion of the
Screening Partnership Program, or by turning over certain security
duties to unqualified private contractors with minimal oversight are
unequivocally steps backward that place the traveling public and
aviation employees at greater risk.
We thank Administrator Pekoske for his leadership in opposing one
such scheme, the Registered Traveler Act of 2020, which he correctly
noted ``would place the critical transportation and National security
function of ensuring passengers are appropriately screened in the hands
of private firms that are not directly accountable to the U.S.
Government''.\4\ This legislation is not the first, nor will it be the
last, effort to devolve critical Federal security roles to private for-
profit contractors, and we hope for the committee's support in
rejecting similar efforts going forward.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Pekoske Letter to Chairman Wicker, 5/18/2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TTD similarly urges caution with regards to any efforts that would
replace screenings performed by the TSA with screenings performed under
the auspices of different international standards or authorities. A
passenger's ability to travel within the country while carrying
dangerous goods, including weapons that the United States and the TSA
have chosen to restrict or prohibit must not be contingent on differing
requirements of other screening providers at international
destinations.
Unfortunately, the agency has also pursued initiatives that would
degrade the quality of its own workforce and its ability to identify
and act on security threats like the presence of a firearm. For
example, the TSA recently announced that it is hiring Security Support
Assistants (SSA), a newly-minted position, at 18 pilot airports across
the country.\5\ Unlike TSOs, this position will not require
certifications on equipment and security procedures, and, according to
the posted job description, will perform tasks like providing
assistance to superiors in the monitoring and flow of individuals
through security check lanes, providing information and assistance to
passengers, and moving checked baggage to and from X-ray conveyor
systems. Despite a lack of certifications, SSAs will somehow also be
responsible for ``taking appropriate steps to ensure all safety
requirements are adhered to and suggest[ing] safety improvements as
appropriate''.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ ATL, AUS, BOI, BOS, CVG, DEN, DTW, JFK, LIT, MSP, OAK, ORD,
PDX, PHL, PHX, RSW, SEA, and SLC.
\6\ USAJobs Posting Req #: ORD-22-000007-SSA-F, accessed 2/11/22.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It should be noted that the TSA has deliberately crafted these
positions as an end-around to existing union representation,
determining that although SSAs are tasked with duties currently
performed by TSOs, they will not be part of the bargaining unit.
Furthermore, while the SSA position is advertised as supplementary to
existing TSOs, the net result of the presence of an SSA may be one less
authorized full-time equivalent (FTE) position for primary screening
functions carried out by a TSO, given existing limitations on the
totality of FTE positions to carry out screening functions. It is
difficult to imagine how a decrease in the ranks of certified and
qualified TSOs is likely to increase safety.
Additionally, a TSO's ability to rotate to other points on the
security line is a key element in maintaining situational awareness at
checkpoints. Being aware and alert is essential for optimal
performance, such as ensuring that a firearm is identified and proper
security protocols are implemented. However, because an SSA is non-
certified and they are not able to rotate into other positions, a TSO
who would have rotated into those duties will not be able to do so.
Decreased ability for rotation along the line may ultimately lead to
less-alert TSOs at the most crucial points of the screening process. In
light of these concerns, we call on the TSA to reconsider the SSA
program.
We must ensure that the TSA workforce has the tools it needs to
succeed, both in the long-term and in the immediate future. In 2021,
the FAA reported a record 5,981 incidents of unruly passenger
behavior.\7\ This behavior has been directed at TSOs themselves, as
well as passenger service agents, flight crew, and other airline and
airport workers. In many cases, these employees have been physically
assaulted, resulting in broken bones, knocked-out teeth, and long-term
injuries that have prevented a return to work. This behavior is
unacceptable, and TTD and our affiliates have called for more effective
actions from Congress and the Federal Government. We continue to demand
that all available avenues are pursued to protect the employees that we
represent from workplace violence and unruly behavior.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ https://www.faa.gov/data_research/passengers_cargo/
unruly_passengers/2021_ar- chive/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With that in mind, the incursion of firearms into the powder keg
that is the current airport ecosystem could have deadly consequences
for both employees and passengers. The TSA and its workforce should be
commended for its efforts to date, and the 5,972 firearms it
confiscated last year. However, if the ability and readiness of the TSA
workforce is threatened or degraded, there is increased possibility of
a firearm slipping through a checkpoint and ending up in the hands of
an unruly passenger wishing to do harm to employees or other
passengers. We are grateful that such an event has not yet occurred,
but it is incumbent on Congress and the TSA to take actions as
described here to further mitigate the likelihood of an incident
involving a firearm.
In order to ensure that personnel are best-prepared to prevent
future security incidents, including those involving firearms, it is
necessary for TSA, or for Congress by statute, to ensure equity with
regard to so-called regulated parties. The TSA has opaquely allowed
these regulated parties access to security proposals for the purpose of
inclusion and comment, including security directives, alterations to
standard security programs, and changes to policy and rules. This
division hamstrings our ability to participate in the process,
understand the potential for upcoming changes to aviation security
which directly affect our members, and to help provide critical
security input to help best shape policy and advocate for creative
security solutions. The TSA's exclusion of labor parties has created an
inequity in information and participation. Currently, regulated party
status has only been provided to carriers, airports, and other entities
with an, at times, narrow focus on economic matters. The rationale is
that these parties are ``regulated'' by the agency. However, this
argument is undermined by TSA's decision to permit certain industry
trade associations to have access and participate. We call on TSA to
reverse course, and permit labor representatives of these employees,
who have a great stake in airport and airline safety, to receive
regulated party status.
We thank the committee for the opportunity to testify today about
the serious aviation security concerns raised by a spike in firearm
confiscations, and we look forward to working with you to ensuring the
continued security of our Nation's airports.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Mr. Regan, for your
very considerate advocacy and testimony. Be assured that we
recognize the importance of our TSO employees and the fact that
they do deserve respect and decent pay and protection and
opportunity. So, thank you very much. The Chair now recognizes
Mr. Wallis to summarize his statement for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF JASON WALLIS, CHIEF OF POLICE, PORT OF PORTLAND
Mr. Wallis. Thank you and let me apologize for the
construction that is surrounding me today. So, Chairwoman
Watson Coleman, Ranking Member Gimenez, and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you
today about the issue of firearms at the TSA checkpoints and
the impacts on airport law enforcement.
I am the chief of police of the Portland International
Airport and the president of ALEAN, Aviation Law Enforcement
Agencies Network. I have been in law enforcement for 26 years
and I have been the chief here at the port for the past 7
years. PDX is the largest commercial airport in Oregon and
Southwest Washington. My No. 1 priority is to ensure the safety
of everyone who utilizes airport facilities.
ALEAN has over 100-member airport police departments
located at the Nation's largest airports. ALEAN supports
airport police with annual training conferences and broad
engagement on issues of civil aviation security.
The National growth in passengers over the past decade also
came with an increase in the number of firearms at the TSA
security checkpoints. In 2011, TSA detected 1,320 firearms at
the checkpoints. As already mentioned, in 2021, that number
grew to 6,000 firearms. Here at PDX, our growth in firearms at
checkpoints mirrored the National trend. In 2011, we had 19
loaded mostly firearms detected at our checkpoints and 66 were
found in 2019. Over 90 percent of those firearms were loaded.
Even during the global pandemic and its impact on air travel,
TSA saw a doubling in the per capita rate of passengers with
firearms screened at the checkpoints. This steady growth is
alarming to me as a chief of police and the president of ALEAN.
When the TSA identifies a firearm through the screening
process, TSA and police staff immediately investigate. These
investigations shut down the checkpoint lane during the
encounter causing delays, as well as creating a very stressful
situation for TSA staff and travelers. Firearm investigations
are staff-intensive, thorough, and involve multiple steps to
secure the firearm and conduct an owner interview. Ultimately,
police must resolve the incident in accordance with each
State's laws, and there might not be an appropriate State
criminal charge. The varied State criminal enforcement statutes
limit the options available to address the increase in firearms
in airport terminals. Civil penalties may be imposed by TSA to
travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoints.
Local jurisdictions are working to address the situation.
Here at the port, we engaged the Oregon State policy makers
over the course of several years about this issue. In 2021, the
Oregon legislature passed Senate bill 554. The law added
passenger terminal at PDX to the definition of a public
building in Oregon, which prohibits intentional possession of a
firearm within the terminal. Concealed handgun license holders
are also subject to a misdemeanor charge for bringing a firearm
to the checkpoint. Firearms in checked bags consistent with
Federal and airline policy are allowed. Law enforcement
officers and a limited number of listed groups of persons may
possess firearms in the terminal.
I believe the change has enhanced our ability to protect
the traveling public and provide us with the authority to
arrest or cite passengers and allow appropriate enforcement
action to take place. However, the increase of firearms at
checkpoints reduces the ability of TSA and airport police to
focus on their primary duties in other sensitive areas of the
checkpoint and securing those airports against threats.
I would ask the subcommittee to consider these actions to
help bring increased awareness to the traveling public about
the prohibition of firearms at checkpoints. So, I offer these
following recommendations.
First, consistent and clear signage at the start of the
checkpoint queue in airports. I believe this is an issue of
such critical importance that there should be a standard sign
at every single airport checkpoint prohibiting firearms through
passenger screening and including the relevant penalties if
found with a firearm. The signage should not be optional for
local Federal security directors or airport operators.
Second, clear and consistent communication from airlines to
passengers and an opportunity for TSA to work with the airlines
regarding passenger firearm protocol at the checkpoint.
Airlines should be part of the solution by communicating with
passengers the checkpoint firearm rules and policy when check-
in whether by phone, kiosk, or in person regarding the
prohibition of firearms in carry-on bags and through the
checkpoint.
Violations should come with increased fines. The Federal
fines must act as a deterrent, an actual deterrent to folks who
carry firearms. The current fines, as you know, range from
$1,500 to $13,910. To my knowledge and my experience, the
maximum fine is rarely, if ever, imposed and clearly not
serving as a deterrent. I believe the TSA and Congress should
consider significantly raising the civil penalties imposed to
make an actual impact.
Enrollment in DHS Trusted Traveler programs is a privilege.
Currently those who violate rules regarding firearms will have
the Trusted Traveler benefits revoked for a period of time. I
believe the program should be revised to allow and encourage
DHS to permanently withdraw the status of any traveler who
violates the firearms policy at the checkpoints.
I thank you for this opportunity to address you today about
the increase in firearms at the airport checkpoints and I look
forward to working with the subcommittee on solutions that will
assist us in protecting airports. I am happy to answer any
questions. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Wallis follows:]
Prepared Statement of Jason Wallis
February 15, 2022
Chairwoman Watson Coleman, Ranking Member Gimenez, and
Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to
speak with you today about the issue of firearms at TSA
checkpoints and the impacts on airport law enforcement.
I am the chief of police of the Port of Portland (Port) and
the current president of the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies
Network (ALEAN). I have been in law enforcement for 26 years,
24 of those serving at the Port of Portland police department.
I was named chief of police for the Port in 2015. My job--and
the job of our police officers at the Port--is that of your
typical police department: We are the law enforcement agency
responsible for public safety at our properties. Most of our
work is centered at PDX. My No. 1 priority is to ensure the
safety of everyone who utilizes our facilities.
Located in Portland, Oregon, the Port owns 3 airports--
Portland International (PDX), along with 2 general aviation
airports, Hillsboro and Troutdale--4 marine terminals on the
Columbia and Willamette Rivers, and we are the largest owner of
industrial land in Oregon. Our mission is to build shared
prosperity for the region through travel, trade, and economic
development. Our core values are leadership, inclusion, and
service.
PDX is the largest commercial airport in Oregon and
Southwest Washington, serving nearly 20 million passengers
annually in 2019, prior to the pandemic. On average, 55,000
passengers would travel through PDX on a daily basis. Today,
travel volume at PDX is approximately 75 percent of pre-
pandemic levels. We believe 2022 will continue to see steady
increases in travel, and that we will ultimately return to our
pre-pandemic growth in the years ahead. We are also in the
midst of a significant expansion at PDX, a $2 billion capital
construction investment. Our goal is a PDX that can manage 34
million passengers annually by 2045.
ALEAN has over 100-member airport police departments
located at our Nation's largest airports. As the ALEAN
president I support airport police by bringing together
agencies to work on similar issues, support annual training
conferences and actively provide input in the formulation of
public policy concerning matters of civil aviation security,
through partnerships with Government agencies and industry
stakeholders.
The National growth in passengers over the past decade also
came with an increase in the number of firearms identified at
the security checkpoints. In 2011, the TSA detected 1,320
firearms at checkpoints. A decade later, in 2021, there were
nearly 6,000 firearms interdicted at the Nation's airport
checkpoints. Between 2011 and 2019, the average annual rate of
firearms detected at the checkpoint was 5 firearms per million
passengers screened. In 2020 and 2021, that rate jumped to an
average of 10.2 firearms per million passengers. In other
words, in the midst of the global pandemic and its crushing
impact on air travel, the TSA saw a doubling in the per capita
rate of passengers with firearms screened at the security
checkpoints. This steady growth is alarming to me as a chief of
police and as ALEAN president.
When the TSA identifies a firearm through the screening
process, TSA and police staff immediately conduct an
investigation. These investigations shut down the checkpoint
lane during the encounter, causing delays, as well as creating
a stressful situation for TSA staff and travelers alike. The
firearm investigations are staff-intensive, thorough, and
involve multiple steps to secure the firearm and conduct an
owner interview. Even though the TSA and airport police conduct
an investigation on every firearm detected, police must resolve
the incident in accordance with each State's laws. There may or
may not be criminal charges. The varied State enforcement
statutes limit the options available to address the increase in
firearms in airport terminals. Civil penalties may be imposed
by TSA for travelers who bring firearms to the checkpoint.
PDX's growth in firearms at the checkpoint mirrors the
National trend. In 2011, there were 19 firearms detected at our
checkpoints and 66 were found in 2019, over 90 percent of these
firearms were loaded. I would like to share my journey in
establishing a prohibition of firearms at TSA screening
checkpoints in Oregon.
Both TSA and the Port were troubled by this increase in
firearms, and as a result, the Port engaged Oregon State policy
makers over the course of several years about the issue. In
2021, the Oregon legislature passed Senate Bill 554 which added
the passenger terminal at PDX to the definition of ``public
building'' in Oregon.\1\ This meant that existing State law,
which makes intentional possession of a firearm in public
buildings a felony, would be applicable at PDX. Individuals
with a concealed handgun license are also subject to
prosecution for bringing a firearm to the checkpoint but those
cases are a misdemeanor, not felony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Specifically, the statue states, ``Any person who intentionally
possesses a loaded or unloaded firearm or any other instrument used as
a dangerous weapon, while in or on a public building, shall upon
conviction be guilty of a Class C felony.'' ORS 166.370.
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What didn't change under the new Oregon law: Passengers may
continue to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are
unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided container, and with
ammunition packed separately, consistent with Federal and
airline policy. Law enforcement officers, as well as a limited
group of persons defined in State statute, may also have
firearms in the terminal.
Ultimately, this change was about the safety of our
passengers at PDX. I believe it has enhanced our ability to
protect the traveling public and provided us with the authority
to arrest or cite passengers and allow appropriate enforcement
action to take place.
The increase of firearms at checkpoints reduces the ability
of the TSA and airport police to focus on their primary duties
of protecting and securing our airports against other threats.
I would ask this subcommittee to consider actions to help bring
increased awareness to the traveling public about the
prohibition of firearms at checkpoints.
I offer the following recommendations:
Consistent and clear signage at the start of checkpoint
queues in airports.--Every airport and TSA checkpoints have
signs, and lots of them. And local airport operators--including
the Port--retain significant authority over signage. I believe
this is an issue of such critical importance that there should
be standard signs at every single airport checkpoint
prohibiting firearms through passenger screening and include
the relevant penalties if found with a firearm. This signage
should not be optional for local Federal Security Directors.
Clear consistent communication from airlines to passengers
regarding firearms protocol.--When checking in for a flight,
passengers must acknowledge prohibited hazardous material and
prohibited items before finalizing check-in. But there is
currently nothing specific highlighted about the prohibition of
firearms at security checkpoints. I believe this notice should
be revised to ensure passengers are provided clear information
about checkpoint policy as well as the procedure for checking
firearms.
Violations should come with increased fines.--Federal fines
imposed by TSA must act as an actual deterrent to passengers
who carry firearms. The current fines which can range from
$1,500 to $13,910 are clearly not serving as that deterrent,
and to my knowledge the maximum penalty is rarely if ever
imposed. I believe TSA and Congress should consider
significantly raising the civil penalties to make an actual
impact.
TSA PreCheck/Trusted Traveler.--Enrollment in the
Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler programs is a
privilege. Currently those who violate rules regarding firearms
will have Trusted Traveler benefits revoked for a period of
time. I believe the program should be revised to allow and
encourage DHS to permanently withdraw the status of any
traveler who violates the firearms policy at the checkpoint.
In closing, more needs to be done to ensure that the
traveling public is aware of the regulatory prohibition on
carrying firearms into the checkpoint and increased penalties
imposed for those who continue to do so.
Thank you for this opportunity to address you today about
the increase of firearms at airport checkpoints. I look forward
to working with the subcommittee on solutions that will assist
us in protecting our airports.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you. I appreciate your
perspective Mr. Wallis. The Chair now recognizes Mr. Cutie to
summarize his statement for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF RALPH CUTIE, DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Mr. Cutie. Good afternoon Chairwoman Watson Coleman,
Ranking Member Gimenez, and distinguished Members of the
subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to testify before you
today on this very important and alarming issue at our
country's airports. My name is Ralph Cutie and I am the
director and chief executive officer of Miami International
Airport. If I may, Madam Chair, I would like to take a moment
to especially extend a warm greeting, as we say here in Miami,
to our hometown Congressman Ranking Chairman Gimenez--Ranking
Member Gimenez--and thank him for his many years of service to
Miami-Dade County and to our airport and the strong support
that he has given our airport over the years.
Here some of the news here at MIA on the heels of 3
consecutive record-breaking years in passenger volume, you
know, we went through a very difficult 2020 after COVID hit. We
finished up 2019 with 47 million passengers as Ranking Member
Gimenez mentioned. That translated after COVID to in 2020,
where we had 18 million passengers come through our airport. A
significant decrease in passenger volume.
Now, from that we have rebounded and had a very robust
recovery over the last year. We finished off 2021 with a
record-breaking year for us. In November and December, we had a
significant increase in passenger volume. Of the top-10 days in
MIA's history, he had 8 of those top-10 days in November and
December of this year, including our No. 1 day of all time,
December 19, when we moved almost 166,000 passengers through
our airport.
So, the good news is that we have rebounded very well from
the COVID pandemic. We are currently the No. 1 fastest-growing
airport in the United States. We are the No. 2 airport for
international passengers in the country. We are currently the
fourth- or fifth-busiest airport in the United States depending
on what day we look at those stats.
So, I guess the point there is that the news is very good
from our end. But with that good news, comes very big
challenges, not the least of which is the challenge that we are
discussing today. So, as far as the issue of firearms at
checkpoints is concerned, my colleagues have already mentioned
the statistics which are alarming. Nearly 6,000 weapons
confiscated at checkpoints Nation-wide. That is unacceptable.
Here at MIA ourselves, we have had a rash of confiscated
weapons. In 2020, during the pandemic, we set a record by TSA
confiscating 60 weapons at our checkpoints. Unfortunately, we
broke that record in 2021, which resulted in 75 arrests by our
Miami-Dade police department at our checkpoints. Again, not a
number that we are proud of and a very alarming number.
That combined with some of the statistics that one of my
colleagues mentioned regarding unruly passengers is of great
concern to us. I mean, 6,000 unruly passenger incidents
throughout the country is not a good number. We had 607 here at
Miami-Dade County at our airport. We essentially tripled the
long-standing National average from pre-COVID, which is 150 to
200 unruly passenger incidents a year.
So, we are very concerned about those numbers but are we
enthusiastic that we can take that paradigm? Absolutely. We
have taken steps starting in Thanksgiving to try to curb those
numbers. One of the things that we have done is working
together in partnership with TSA, this Thanksgiving we
implemented a program where we installed high-visibility
signage at all of our security checkpoints regarding firearm
education and so passengers are aware that the firearms would
not be allowed, obviously, at the checkpoint. We also worked
with TSA to reach out to all of our partner airlines to make
sure that they educate the traveling public when they go to the
checkpoints either through direct engagement in conversation
between their ticketing agents and the passengers, and also
through high-visibility signage that the airlines can use to go
ahead and deter those types of things happening at our
checkpoints.
We are also exploring potentially messaging through our
ride share services and going ahead and having our Uber and
Lift services here at the airport have signage in the different
vehicles and go ahead and advise passengers that we have a
zero-tolerance policy when it comes to firearms being carried
onto or through our checkpoints.
So, we have taken steps already in an effort to be
proactive and try to curb that. So far, those efforts have been
successful. Our numbers have come down from approximately an
average of 2 to 3 confiscated firearms per week pre the
implementation of these measures. We are now as of January, we
had 3 in a month. So, in the month of January, we had 3. So,
those numbers seem to coming down. What we are doing seems to
be working. But, obviously, we are open to other potential
solutions and I am willing to listen to all of our colleagues.
I mean, obviously, we could always use additional TSA staff.
Nobody is going to argue with that. And additional funding in
that regard. But, you know, we obviously take the problem
extremely seriously and we look forward to the conversation. I
thank you again for the opportunity to testify before you and
look forward to working with all of you to get through this.
Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Cutie follows:]
Prepared Statement of Ralph Cutie
February 15, 2022
Good afternoon Chairwoman Watson Coleman, Ranking Member Gimenez,
and distinguished Members of the subcommittee. Thank you for inviting
me to testify before you today along with this distinguished panel of
aviation and law enforcement partners on this very important and
alarming issue.
My name is Ralph Cutie, and I am the director and chief executive
officer for the Miami-Dade County Aviation System which includes Miami
International Airport (MIA), Miami-Opa Locka General Aviation Airport
(OPF), Miami Executive General Aviation Airport (TMB), Homestead
General Aviation Airport (X51), and the Training and Transition Airport
(TNT).
background
For our discussion today, I will focus primarily on MIA but there
is also some National context that I believe is important. MIA is
operated by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department and is the property of
Miami-Dade County government. MIA offers more flights to Latin America
and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport, is America's second-
busiest airport for international passengers, boasts a lineup of over
90 air carriers and is the top U.S. airport for international freight.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, MIA handled over 47 million passengers.
MIA is also the leading economic engine for Miami-Dade County and the
State of Florida, generating business revenue of $31.9 billion annually
and approximately 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida.
MIA's vision is to grow from a recognized hemispheric hub to a global
airport of choice that offers customers a world-class experience and an
expanded route network with direct passenger and cargo access to all
world regions.
COVID-19 put an immediate halt to our vision. From a record-setting
47 million passengers in 2019, MIA experienced empty terminals and
empty aircrafts. If not for the financial assistance provided by
Congress, MIA along with every other airport in this country would not
be in the position to restart our industry.
But with this restart, new and unexpected issues have arisen.
Specifically, an increase of firearm confiscations at our passenger
checkpoints.
Madam Chair, I applaud you and this committee for clearly
recognizing the problem and putting together today's hearing in the
effort to finding solutions to this problem which is critical to the
continued safe and efficient operation of the Nation's aviation system.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF),
civilian firearm purchases in the United States in 2000 totaled about 7
million. By 2010 that number was approaching 10 million. In 2020, the
first year of the pandemic, over 22 million guns were sold in this
country and estimates range as high as 40 percent for the number of
those sales that were to first-time gun buyers.
Now, I know that those facts raise a lot of questions that we are
not here today to answer but I cite them because they give context to
the discussion that we are having. These numbers tell us that there are
significantly more guns in circulation today and a lot of people out
there that are not experienced in owning a gun and the solemn
responsibilities that go with it. Add to that the forgetful, careless,
and clueless and you can see the results quite clearly.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers across
the State of Florida have seen a surge in passengers bringing guns to
airport checkpoints, breaking records at airports across the country.
According to TSA published data, TSA officers detected a record
number of firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2021,
establishing a new 20-year record--even with fewer passengers traveling
due to the pandemic. By December 31, 2021, TSA officers stopped 5,972
firearms at our Nation's airport checkpoints. The number of firearms
that TSA officers are stopping at airport checkpoints is alarming and
Florida airports are certainly not immune. And we suffer the
consequences. While the vast majority of passengers caught with
firearms have no ill intent, the negative impact on the airport is
undeniable. Screening is disrupted, lines get longer, TSA and local
police resources are diverted, and everyone is inconvenienced.
At MIA, the numbers reflect the National trend. In 2021, the Miami-
Dade Police Department (MDPD) made 75 arrests for firearms at our
checkpoints breaking the previous record of 60 in 2020. Tampa
International Airport (TPA), Southwest Florida International Airport in
Fort Myers, Orlando International (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale
International Airport (FLL) have similar increases. MIA, FLL, TPA, and
MCO are typically in the top 10 or 11 airports across the country for
passengers violating the Federal law.
mitigation efforts at mia
So, what are the penalties and presumably the deterrents?
Passengers who violate the firearms regulation face a civil penalty
from the TSA that can reach as much as $13,910 and that is up from
$10,000 just a few years ago. That fine is imposed regardless of
whether the individual is cited or physically arrested and transported
to jail by our law enforcement partners. If the traveler is in the TSA
PreCheck program, those privileges will be lost for a period. And
repeat offenders may lose their privileges permanently.
recommendations
Can we shift the paradigm? I believe the answer is yes. At MIA we
began a simple passenger education effort last Thanksgiving. In
partnership with TSA, we placed high-visibility signage at security
checkpoints where passengers enter the queue. TSA has reached out to
airlines here and encouraged them to make firearms awareness part of
the ticketing transaction, either with signage or through agent-to-
customer conversation. In the few months since this initiative began,
we have seen guns at checkpoints go from the previous high of 2 to 3
per week to only 3 in the entire month of January. While the numbers
may not yet be statistically important, they do give reason to be
optimistic and to seek out additional partners to educate the public.
In closing, I am grateful for the opportunity to provide the views
of MIA on this very important issue and how we can minimize operational
impacts moving forward and appreciate your attention to this matter.
Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to testify.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you so very much. I am
having a bit of a problem with my camera. I can't see you. I
hope you can see me. But in the mean time, I will try to figure
this out. So, I need to thank every one of the witnesses for
their testimony today. I am going to remind the Members of the
subcommittee that each of us will have 5 minutes to question
the panel.
Without objection, Members that are not on the subcommittee
shall be permitted to sit and question the witness. As I
indicated, I did see Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. I don't
know if there are any others on. But she will be recognized. I
am now going to recognize myself for some questions.
I am really interested in talking about the ripple effect
on the airport operations when a gun is found at a TSA
checkpoint. So, I am going to start with you, Mr. Bheodari.
When TSA identifies a gun in a passenger's carry-on luggage,
please walk us through what happens operationally.
Mr. Bheodari. Bheodari, Hartsfield-Jackson General Manager.
When the TSA screened the bag, there was an anomaly that was
not readily identified, and the TSA pulled that bag aside for a
secondary screening unaware that there was a weapon in the bag.
Had a passenger knowing that there was a weapon in his carry-on
bag, reached in, grabbed the weapon, and in that scuffle, the
weapon accidently discharged.
Once the weapon discharged, the checkpoint had a number,
several, couple of hundreds of passenger in queue waiting to go
through security screening. You could imagine the confusion
that occurred at that instantaneous moment where passengers
started running. They just abandoned everything and started
running for cover.
Our law enforcement officer that was at the security
checkpoint, the minute he heard that sound, looking at CCTV
video footage, he start moving toward the zone of fire. He
called in for back-up and then from there, Atlanta police took
over their response and very, very quickly ascertained that it
was an accidental discharge. It was not intentional. They
started a search for this individual throughout the airport
public area. We were certain that he didn't make it into the
secured area of the location. Then from there, once we
ascertained that it was secure, it was unintentional and APD
secured the scene for further investigation, we moved toward
reopening the airport. The airport was closed for approximately
2\1/2\ hours.
So, talking about this incident itself, there were other
rippling effects, and one of those is the financial impact. We
estimate that for every hour because of the magnitude of our
operations here that this airport is closed, it has a financial
impact of nearly $2.5 million to our stakeholder, to the
airline, to the concessioner, parking revenue, and so on and so
forth.
But again, we were fortunate that our skill was so well-
honed. Just a day before, we conducted an active-shooter
exercise. So, it was fresh in the mind of everyone and despite
that exercise, our team is continually training because we know
the chaos this could bring to an airport.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, sir. Mr. Wallis, from
the law enforcement perspective, what does your response
entail?
Mr. Wallis. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, for the question.
Much like described earlier, they are staff-intensive. So, a
general response for a gun, a firearm in a bag at a checkpoint
looks like this. Mandatory minimum of two officers. We know
there is a firearm present. Here at PDX we have spent many
years working with TSA on establishing an incident command
system. So, we have a mini-incident command with our sergeant.
So, that is a third police officer and their screening
supervisor. One thing we also have that, I think, most airports
have if the passenger reaches for the gun, or there is a
discharge, we also have the alarms installed at the checkpoint.
But on an average gun in the bag, it is we have established
a small area at each checkpoint where once we secure the
firearm, determine that the person is not dangerous. Obviously,
if the person is showing signs of being threatening, we would
take him into custody. But, in general, the passenger is
willing to come with us while we run the firearm to make sure
it is not involved in any crimes, is not stolen, see if it is
loaded, question the person.
Then at the end of the day, we have two ways to go. If the
firearm is seized because it is evidence, it is extensive
packaging and forensic evaluation of the firearm, along with
criminal charges. But more often than not, as you have
mentioned, and others as well, it is just a civil penalty. We
do write full investigative reports on every gun at the
checkpoint. We also forward those civil incidents to the FBI
because as mentioned, there is a corresponding Federal felony
charge that looks much like our State charges for the firearms.
That is kind-of it. If we seize the firearm, there is a lot of
ways it could go. But more often than not, we do not.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
Wallis. My time has run out. I did want to ask questions about
the fines. I think that is something that you all address in
everyone of your recommendations. So, if not one of my
colleagues doesn't cover that, I will cover that in a second
round. I will now recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Gimenez.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. Question of
somebody, maybe if somebody has the answer to this. What
percentage of the folks that have a gun in their carry-on, how
many of them, what percentage of that is on purpose? What
percentage of it is, hey, I forgot, I didn't know, it is a
mistake? What are the percentages there?
Mr. Cutie. Congressman, I would say here in Miami, I would
say the vast majority, probably more than 95 percent, are
inadvertent carry-ons. In other words, it is not a purposeful,
somebody with some kind of ill intent in the majority of the
cases here. The vast majority of the cases, it is somebody that
has forgotten. They were either they are used to carrying, and
they had forgotten, and they go to the checkpoint and then that
is where the situation goes south.
Mr. Gimenez. OK. Does anybody have a difference of opinion
that it is not 95 percent that it is inadvertent?
Mr. Bheodari. In Atlanta, a great majority, 90+ percent,
oh, I forgot. The data is showing as that we don't--if they are
caught with a gun, we don't have repeated offenders.
Mr. Gimenez. You don't. That is a great question, OK. That
was a question, actually, I was going to ask. What is the
percentage of repeat offenders? Which means to me that they
really weren't trying to get something through.
So, if 90 to 95 percent of the people is inadvertent, I am
not sure where heightened penalties are going to avert that
because it was a mistake. I mean, you could charge me $100,000,
if I forgot that there was something in there, I am not sure
that that is going to avert anything. So, there has to be, I
think, the solution to this for 90 to 95 percent is greater
signage and greater signage and greater signage all over the
airport so that it is not just it doesn't happen just when you
walk into the TSA checkpoint. That when you walk into the
airport, there are no guns. Then maybe that will trigger, oh,
my God, hey, I have a gun.
Then is there a place, I guess, where if you do have a gun
in your carry-on, that you say, hey, if you have a gun in your
carry-on, you need to go check that bag and there is a process
for you to carry that gun so that basically you don't have to
go back home, et cetera.
So, I think that is something that I would like to see,
greater signage and options for an individual that may have
forgotten that they have a gun in there. Or maybe their memory
may be jogged.
Now, in terms of the Atlanta incident, what concerns me is
that the individual was able to grab the gun. Now, did the
person grab the gun before it went through the checkpoint or
after it went through the checkpoint?
Mr. Bheodari. Well, the protocol in Atlanta is if a gun is
visible on the screening monitor, that gun is--and the way our
checkpoint in our system the technology is designed, that gun--
that bag will be diverted into a secure location and it will be
handled. An APD, Atlanta police officer will call to handle
that bag.
In this case here, the gun was not visible through the
screening process. So, the gun was diverted just for a back
search, a back screening by a TSO, a transportation security
officer. That is where the difference in the split was in this
incident versus a bag that has a gun where the gun is visible
on the entry.
Mr. Gimenez. That now opens up a heck of a lot more
questions. How in the world was the gun not visible on the X-
ray? How was it that that gun got through and the X-ray
operator didn't see that there was a gun there?
Mr. Bheodari. So, Congressman, we could provide more
additional information because I am not a technical expert to
discuss why that gun was not visible through the X-ray
screening process. But the expertise here at the airport could
certainly provide and we could provide a written explanation to
that question.
Mr. Gimenez. I guess you don't want to show why it wasn't.
Maybe the individual packed it a certain way. But that is
concerning in and of itself that somehow a gun got through
without us knowing there was a gun there.
So, again, Madam Chairwoman, maybe that is something that
we need to discuss with TSA about the technology they are
using. What percentage of bags may have guns that we don't even
detect, all right? That to me is much more concerning probably
than this 95 percent of the people that are carrying a gun, you
know, inadvertently. So, my time is just about up. Maybe I will
have, if you indulge me in another round of questions after
everybody is done. So, thank you very much and I yield back.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Mr. Gimenez.
Following up on your concerns, I agree with you. We are trying
to get a greater understanding of how a gun wasn't detected.
But something alerted a TSO to put that baggage into a second
tier of scrutiny, and I would like to understand what that was.
If he didn't see a gun, what was it that alerted that TSO to
move that bag to another location for additional scrutiny? Sir,
would you know the answer to that off-hand, Mr. Bheodari?
Mr. Bheodari. I think the TSA officials could better answer
that question, Congresswoman, because I am not familiar with
why--what they saw on the screen that caused the decision to be
made for secondary screening versus diverting to the safe
location for a weapon.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you. I recognize Ms.
Titus.
Ms. Titus. Thank you, Madam Chairman and thank you for
holding this hearing. You know, it is really important here in
Las Vegas because we have got the fifth-busiest airport and now
that the economy is coming back, more and more people will be
coming. Also, we have so many sporting events that we expect to
see more people coming. We have had the same problem that has
been mentioned by other airports, a record number of guns found
last year, 83 by TSA. That is a considerable increase and we
worry about it increasing more.
Just a couple of questions to whoever wants to answer it.
One is a large number of the people who come through our
airport speak a different language. They don't speak English.
Last time I had a bill that was required TSA to put up signs in
other languages. I wonder if they feel like that signage to
explain you can't carry a gun in a different language might be
adequate? Also, as more people pour through here, if you find a
gun and it disrupts the whole process, how do you deal with the
people who are behind you in the line and now want to go catch
their plane and they got to stop because somebody has found a
gun and it is causing confusion at the checkpoint? Finally,
just briefly, what about these 3D-printed guns? How are we
going to be dealing with those?
Mr. Wallis. Madam Chairwoman Titus, thank you for the
questions. This is Jason Wallis with ALEAN and the Port of
Portland Police. There are a few layers to that. So, for the
most part, that is the reason we require multiple staff on
those calls is partly because of that crowd management. TSA
actually does a really good job if the checkpoint lines are
slowed or shut down of diverting and opening up different
lines. That has been my experience in your airport and here at
PDX. They do a really good job.
The 3D-printed gun question, you know, that has been on our
radar for a few years and a concern. Obviously, the main
concern is safety for everybody involved. The fact that it
potentially violates, you know, regulations that are already
set up on firearm production and distribution. It really would
make it difficult for law enforcement after an incident on the
forensic side to, you know, do our normal checks whether it is
a barrel, how things work.
Then, obviously, we have concerns and as mentioned earlier,
what technology is there to detect those? I know some of the
TSA equipment is very good at detecting polymer-based
constructed guns. I know it is improving and it is probably an
area that needs to be funded and explored further. It is a
concern for law enforcement.
Ms. Titus. Would somebody address maybe the language
problem if that is a problem?
Mr. Cutie. Representative Titus, here in Miami in our case,
all of our signs in that we have a very large Hispanic
community, our signs are all in English. However, they are
clearly illustrated so it is like a stop sign. You will see an
illustration of a gun with a red line through it. So, I mean,
it is very--it is very, very clear in our case. It is a
universal type thing where, you know, it is clear that a
firearm is not allowed. So, we are real clear on that.
When it comes to checkpoints, et cetera, I mean, our
biggest issue is when a firearm is detected and confiscated,
typically, one of our lanes in our checkpoints are closed down,
which reduces our throughput by 25 percent, which is a major
impact for us. If that period of time is extended, then, you
know, that ends up in passengers missing flights, et cetera,
schedules being disrupted. In some cases, some chaos at the
terminals. Disruption of the resources that we have, assignment
of police officers, et cetera. So, those are some of the
impacts we deal with almost on a daily basis here.
Ms. Titus. Thank you. So, you can use universal symbols if
you don't have all the different languages----
Mr. Cutie. That is correct.
Ms. Titus [continuing]. That might be. That is good, OK.
Mr. Cutie. That is correct.
Ms. Titus. Well, there has just been so much hostility in
airports with the virus and the masks and the spacing that I
hate to see this--people get backed up and that contribute to
it. So, appreciate the good work that you all do. I see you
every week when I fly back and forth to Washington through the
Las Vegas airport and appreciate what you do to keep us safe.
Thank you, Madam Chairman. I yield back.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Ms. Titus. I just
want to share with the group that there was a TSA statement. It
said that the firearm we were talking about was detected as it
passed through the scanner and then it was moved to secondary
screening. Which is then I was also told usually if a gun is
found, the bag is held inside the X-ray machine until the law
enforcement arrives. So, there really is a good reason to speak
with TSA and try to get the real skinny on this. Madam Miller-
Meeks.
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. Thank you, Madam Chair, and I thank you
to our witnesses who are here. This certainly is an important
topic. I just want to follow up a little bit on what
Representative Gimenez had asked in reference to how many times
are firearms found or left in a bag and it is accidental? Then
the follow-up question was that how many second offenders are
there and I am sure this is something that you track and the
answer was none. So, are there ways that TSA can proactively,
i.e., at the airports you constantly hear messages where to
park your car, are there messages that can be relayed prior to
going through security so that people get out of the line and
remove their firearms if they in fact have firearms, and then
check them?
Mr. Bheodari. So, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks, if I
understand it----
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. I am sorry?
Mr. Bheodari [continuing]. This is Bheodari from Atlanta
airport--correctly, how many of those weapons that they
discover are deliberate or just forgetfulness? Based on what
the police records show, most of those that are apprehended for
a weapon in their carry-on luggage at the checkpoints claim
that they forget the weapons. That is in high 90 percentile. Of
repeat offender, last year I think we only had 1 repeat
offender of the 507 weapons that were caught at the checkpoint.
Messaging are done in a number of fashion. We have the mnemonic
messaging, static messaging, pictorial, multi-language, local
media, customer service standing in the queue line reminding
passengers to check their luggage one more time to ensure that
they don't have any guns in their luggage or any other
prohibited items. So, it is done multiple times along the
journey to include when you check in on either your app the
airlines, there is a whole set of messaging by the airlines to
talk about prohibited items.
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. Yes, I have seen the static messages on
a message board, if you will. But I have not seen other
messages in the numerous airports that I travel, at least not
in the United States. That was why I was asking my question so
that people are pulled out of the line if, in fact, it is
accidental----
Mr. Wallis. Congresswoman.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Congresswoman, you are muted.
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. OK. My phone says I am unmuted so I am
sorry.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. You are fine.
Mrs. Miller-Meeks. I will yield back my time.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Congresswoman. I
recognize Mr. Payne.
Mr. Payne. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for this
timely hearing. This question is for all the witnesses. What
challenges do firearms pose to the security of the public areas
of an airport such as ticket counters and baggage claim and
parts of the concourse before the security checkpoints?
Anybody?
Mr. Wallis. Congressman, I can take a stab at that
question. Jason Wallis, ALEAN, chief of police of Portland
International Airport.
Mr. Payne. Yes, sir.
Mr. Wallis. So, you know, since September 11, and even
before September 11, threat, scope, and concept has shifted as
more active-shooter events and more dynamic, you know, threats
or shooting events have occurred in public areas. So, that is
an extreme priority for all of law enforcement in this country
and also in others. Unfortunately, we have learned many lessons
from other countries as well on the threat of explosives,
firearms, and even edged weapons in the public area.
So, back to my original statement. That is one of my main
concerns with the staff resource drain for these folks who say
they forgot their weapons because the weapon still is
dangerous. It was originally in the public area and it could
discharge. It is also a weakness in the system. I think we have
clearly identified that over the last 3 years, regardless of
fines and the current fines and the current messaging and the
current signage, the number of loaded firearms in every airport
has just blown it out of the water. It is at crazy levels.
So, it is a concern to me and I do think that we need to do
something to prohibit those loaded weapons from coming into the
front of the terminal and not making it to the checkpoint.
Mr. Payne. Thank you. Anyone else?
Mr. Bheodari. Congressman, it is very alarming when the TSA
discovered 5,972 weapons in 2021, when they screened 300
million less passengers. Eighty-six percent of those weapons
had a round in the chamber or had a magazine, a loaded magazine
in the weapon. Very, very alarming and as the chief said, just
an accidental discharge as demonstrated in Atlanta in November,
could cause mass panic.
Mr. Payne. Thank you.
Mr. Cutie. Congressman.
Mr. Payne. Yes?
Mr. Cutie. Congressman Payne, I would say to answer your
question, yes, at least here in Miami, the threat that exists
pre-security would be the same threat that would exist in any
other venue that is not in the airport. That would be,
obviously, accidental discharge, the potential of using a
firearm in a crime, obviously, the worst scenario, which is the
active-shooter scenario. So, all those threats exist at airport
pre-security the same way they exist in any other venue here in
Miami, whether it is a restaurant, a movie theater, a public
park, et cetera. The threats are the same and we take them very
seriously here. Obviously, we have more than 150 police
officers that go through our terminals every day. We increase
sweeps during holiday periods, et cetera, when we have
increased passenger volumes. But I would say the threats are
exactly the same here as they are in any other public venue
whenever any of us go out to those venues.
Mr. Payne. Somebody needs to mute their phone. Mr. Regan,
what have TTD members shared regarding their feelings of safety
at work when open or concealed carry is permitted in airports?
What about when guns are caught at checkpoints in the airports
where they work?
Mr. Regan. Well, thank you for that question. You know, I
think honestly the biggest thing we get from TSOs and from
members of AFGE who represent those workers, most of the
complaints about their workplace have to do with their lack of
workplace rights and work force rights that every other Federal
employee has. So, whether it is at a, you know, a place where
there is open carry or not, ultimately, you know, the day-to-
day--their day-to-day ability to do their job is hampered by
the fact that they are denied some of the basic rights that
virtually all other Federal employees are granted.
Mr. Payne. Absolutely, thank you. Madam Chair, I will yield
back. But we need to continue our work as I know you have and
Chairman Thompson have to advocate for TSOs to be brought up to
the Federal standards that they deserve. They are on the front
lines here of our security every single day and we need not let
them not be compensated to those levels. I know you feel the
same way. But thank you and I yield back.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Mr. Payne. As I go to
our last figure in the first round, who will be Representative
Sheila Jackson Lee, I just want to kind-of put it on the record
my thought about this issue about folks forgetting that they
had a gun in their check-in luggage in their luggage they were
going to take onto the plane with them. That is the last bag
you generally pack is the bag you are putting all your stuff in
that you are going to take on the plane with you. It is hard
for me to believe that everybody that gets caught and 90
percent of people that get caught with a gun in their bag
forgot they had it. Even if they did forget they had it, it is
still an illegal act. We need to be treating it as such. With
that, I would like to recognize Representative Sheila Jackson
Lee. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Can you hear me?
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Yes, you are being recognized,
ma'am.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you very much to the Chair and to
the Ranking Member for this hearing and to the witnesses that
have been very provocative. I was certainly aware of the
shooting of the TSO officer in California and the sadness and
tragedy of that overwhelming tragedy. So, the issues that I
want to discuss deal with how we get to a better place. First,
I would like to ask Mr. Regan, you know that we have been
working on legislation, H.R. 903, the rights of TSA work force.
We know that there is morale issues, meager pay, low morale,
lack of workplace bargaining rights. I would be interested in
how you could expound on how making sure that TSOs are paid
fairly, trained with extensive training, and have a better
voice in the workplace that continues to impact on keeping the
skies secure.
Mr. Regan. Thank you so much, Congresswoman. Yes, that
piece of legislation you mentioned is critical. If you look at
the morale rates at the--among TSOs, it is really--it is
really, you know, really distressing. The fact that we have
people who we put our lives in their hands to make sure that
our aviation system is secure and they are being treated on an
unlevel and unequal playing field with the rest of the Federal
work force is just a crime.
When you look at what happens, the results, frankly, for
the Federal taxpayer, the fact that we have such high turnover
rate. If you look at the 10-year period ending in 2018, you
know, they replaced the entire TSA work force over that time.
You cannot retain people that you are training at a very high
level with high security responsibilities in a high-stress
environment unless you are going to compensate them well and
give them access to other Federal benefits that, frankly, their
supervisors are granted. So, I just don't think it is a
sustainable model that we currently have.
Ms. Jackson Lee. I have a question of Mr. Wallis. Thank you
very much for your answer, Mr. Regan. Mr. Wallis, can you walk
me through what occurs at the checkpoint? Now, you deal with
the law enforcement element of the TSA. Walk me through what
happens when a passenger comes in and let me use this
terminology and I don't use it with disrespect, but feigns lack
of knowledge about the gun that they forgot to put somewhere
else. What and how do we handle that?
Mr. Wallis. Congresswoman Jackson Lee, I appreciate the
question and I appreciate your careful wording of the question
as well. So, the good news is that TSA staff and law
enforcement treat these incidents the same from beginning to
end regardless of the statement or the stated mental
culpability of the person in possession of the firearm. So, it
is intensive and depending on area constraints, like we heard
from Las Vegas, it can shut down up to 25 percent of their
screening queue. Some airports have a little bit of a broader
area in the back and you can actually move the person, within
their rights, to do a further investigation.
But most airports are really constrained and the action is
confined there at the screening checkpoint. So, we would
conduct an interview. We would secure the firearm. Get
statements from the person. What we do find more often than
not, the person says they forgot it. We do look for things like
how was the bag packed? Is the gun sitting in a particular
area? There are a lot of different things law enforcement would
look for. But you are right. Most of the time people say they
forgot.
But I would just like to bring this up. After 26 years in
law enforcement and dealing with multiple criminal justice
issues, most people for most crimes investigated that I have
spoken with say they didn't know or forgot that whatever
prohibited item was in their possession. So, I might be a
little more pessimistic than some. I don't always believe folks
when they say they forgot it. Some I do. Some clearly it has it
happened. But, again, that is very, in my opinion,
irresponsible gun ownership. To forget you have a loaded pistol
in a bag that you are submitting to TSA for screening, to me,
is an issue. Thank you.
Ms. Jackson Lee. So, let me pursue my line of questioning
with the time that I have left. You remove the firearm, you
separate the firearm and the passenger, then what happens? The
firearm remains in your possession? The person can leave the
airport with a ticket or what is the circumstance? They want to
make their plane? How does that--they go back to the
checkpoint?
Mr. Regan. So, yes----
Ms. Jackson Lee. When I say the checkpoint, the counter to
check it? Go ahead.
Mr. Regan. So, I appreciate that. Yes, depending on the
layout of the airport, many or all of those things could
happen. But in general, the weapon is separated. I think even
in States where it is hard to find an ultimate criminal charge
for citation or arrest, all airport law enforcement have the
ability to detain and investigate further to determine if there
is a crime.
So, the firearm would be run, would be processed. At the
point we decide we are done and the TSA has all their
information for investigation, and I will take the lowest
level, if we think all we have is a civil violation, to your
point, it is a problem. We have to enact solutions to escort
the person off, make sure their firearm is secured. We no
longer, as a matter of course, just release them back into the
public area with a firearm. So, that is a problem. What do you
do with the firearm after you have--now they missed their
flight and now you have an armed person that should not be in
your public area?
Ms. Jackson Lee. Well, thank you. I see that my time has
expired. Madam Chair and Ranking Member, this is a very
important hearing and the probing, I could probe Mr. Wallis for
a long period of time.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Madam Jackson Lee, I am going to
give you a second round if you just bear with us for a second.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Well, thank you so very much.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. All right.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank Mr. Wallis very much. Thank you.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you.
Ms. Jackson Lee. All the witnesses, thank you.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. We have already concluded the 5-
minute questions with each of our--with each of our Members.
So, I am now going to offer a second round of questions. I am
going to start with asking a question myself. Currently, TSA
typically assesses the $3,000 civil penalty for bringing a
loaded firearm to a checkpoint or $1,500 on unloaded firearm.
But given the surging number of firearms at checkpoints, these
fines are clearly not acting as sufficient deterrent. So, Mr.
Wallis, I want to start with you as the law enforcement. Would
increasing the civil penalties, in your mind, that would be
assessed against passengers unlawfully carrying firearms,
encourage travelers to be more vigilant?
Mr. Wallis. Madam Chair, thank you for the question. I
would say any general criminological theory starts with this
question and the one thing that we know is if something is
swift, meaning the application of whatever the penalty is,
occurs quickly and not at a much, much later date, is severe,
severe enough that the person does not want to do it or if they
did commit a crime, they don't do it again, and certain. So, I
would say out of those three factors, the ones that I question
are the swiftness and, obviously, the severity, but the
certainty. What I mean by that is although we have fines at
$1,500 to $13,910, and I understand that many mitigating or
aggravating factors could be applied, I am not aware that we
routinely fine on the high end, and that is certain. I have
heard that we--if people have a 30-day payment plan, the fines
can get reduced or some other mitigating information. It really
to me does not address those three factors.
Just from pragmatic and practical approach to law
enforcement, we deal with this all the time. Take your areas of
speeding where there are pedestrian issues and potential
deaths. If we have a speeding problem, we cite speeders, OK?
This to me seems fairly simple that if we have this problem,
and I think we do, we issue citations at whatever level we can.
Currently, the one consistent way people can be cited is the
civil regulatory penalty.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Mr. Wallis. So, Mr.
Regan, I have a question for you. There is a sharp rise in
unruly passengers at the checkpoints and even aboard the
airlines over the last few years. It has alarmed me greatly. In
my opinion, the last thing we need is these situations and a
gun in the mix. It seems to me that the possibility of a
tragedy is difficult to overstate.
What sort of planning, if any, have you done to prepare for
a potential situation that involves a hostile individual with a
legally-carried firearm in the public area of an airport? On a
broader topic, maybe that is for you, Mr. Wallis, but on a
broader topic, Mr. Regan, I want to ask you, do you believe the
cabin crews would benefit from additional defense training to
deal with unarmed but very unruly and very dangerous
passengers? So, Mr. Wallis, can you give us a quick run through
of what I asked you and then Mr. Regan.
Mr. Wallis. Yes, so, I know that all the TSA flight crew
staff, everybody from door to ticket lobby back down to baggage
claim, should receive some level of training and awareness
level training. From what I have heard and we have participated
in that, it has been received very well by flight crews and
ground crews. So, yes, I think it can't hurt anything and we do
here at PDX as part of our broader active-shooter training,
roll all those groups into it at some level.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you. Mr. Regan, please.
Mr. Regan. Yes, thank you. I agree. I think having
additional training for flight crew members, for TSA agents,
for passenger service assistants, all of them could benefit
from some additional self-defense and de-escalation training.
We have actually pursued over several years now legislative
fixes to try to protect people better, airline workers
especially, better at the airports. One of them involves
requiring airports and airlines to have customer service
agents' protection plans that are going to be approved by the
FAA. That is something that was in the last FAA reauthorization
bill in 2018, that we are still trying to make sure is fully
implemented.
But all of these things and at every step of the passenger
experience, whether it be through security or when they are
getting ticketed or when they are boarding the plane or to the
time they are on the plane itself, every person has a key role
to play to making sure that that entire trip is safe. They all
deserve every tool in their bag at their disposal to make sure
that they can do their job safely and to make sure that there
aren't threats to themselves or their passengers throughout
that process.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you. Thank you very much,
Mr. Regan and Mr. Wallis. I now recognize the Ranking Member,
Mr. Gimenez.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you, Madam Chair. Please, I didn't say
that we shouldn't have penalties. I am just saying that if the
majority of the people don't know they are carrying a gun and
it is an honest mistake, then we need to have more signage so
that they don't get to the point where they make that honest
mistake so that it kind of reminds them, hey, you know, you may
want to look in your bag before you go there. Then whatever
penalties that we have, we have.
The people that have that made an honest mistake, you can
charge $1 million, it is not going to deter them. They made an
honest mistake.
So, what we want at the end is to have less people, you
know, come through with a loaded weapon and get on that plane
with a loaded weapon. I am thinking if it is that most of them
are making an honest mistake, I think we need to use better
signage and other ways to try to remind them, hey, you got to
take a look at this.
Question, can you carry ammunition on carry-on without a
gun? Can you carry ammunition?
Mr. Wallis. Mr. Gimenez, thank you for the comments before
subcommittee. Yes, I agree with everything you just said. We
get called for ammunition. Ammunition is not supposed to be
allowed on carry-on based on my understanding of the TSA
screening rules.
Mr. Gimenez. Even these printed guns, they have to have
ammo, right? It is not printed ammo, right? It is normal ammo
that goes into these printed guns?
Mr. Wallis. Correct.
Mr. Gimenez. OK. How good is our technology in finding this
ammo on carry-ons?
Mr. Wallis. In my experience, I think TSA is very
proficient at detecting ammunition.
Mr. Gimenez. All right. Now, one other question. What
percentage of flights have a weapon in the checked bags?
Anybody know that?
Mr. Wallis. I do not.
Mr. Bheodari. I don't have the answer to that. But if you
check a weapon in your checked bag, you have to declare that.
If you fail to declare that weapon, then that bag once it goes
through, that checked bag goes through screening, that weapon
is detected and it is treated the same as an undeclared weapon,
an illegal weapon. The passenger and bag is removed.
Mr. Gimenez. OK. I am getting to the Fort Lauderdale
incident. So, that, OK, does the destination airport get a
notification that there is a checked weapon coming in on flight
40 from Miami? Does the destination airport get that kind of
notification?
Mr. Bheodari. That weapon should never leave the airport of
origination because it has to go through screening.
Mr. Gimenez. No, I am saying I checked it right, OK? I went
through, got it checked. There is a checked weapon going to
wherever I am going, right? It is legal. So, it is getting
there, all right? Now, does the airport, does the originating
airport tell the destination airport that on flight 47 from
Miami there is a checked weapon in the bag?
Mr. Cutie. Congressman, when a passenger legally checks his
weapon with his checked luggage, it goes on the passenger's
PNR, passenger name record, which then becomes part of the
record that the airline that is transporting the passenger
keeps. So, to answer your question, that information is
available in the passenger name records, which identify.
Mr. Gimenez. OK. No, what I am getting to is do you--I
don't know if I have any time left. OK. What I am getting to
is----
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. You have time to get an answer.
Mr. Cutie. No, the information is not pushed.
Mr. Gimenez. OK. What I am asking is does the receiving
airport know that there is a checked weapon in that bag and
then do they then notify law enforcement that you need to go to
this carousel because there is a weapon in one of those bags so
that we avert what happened in Fort Lauderdale? Does that
happen?
Mr. Wallis. I can speak to that part of it, Ranking Member
Gimenez. That is not the procedure. Here in the Pacific
Northwest, we deal with more of the long guns. People are
flying to Alaska. There is a hunting population. So, I can tell
you that for oversized items, things packaged like a hardcase
with rifle, there is a little bit of notification. But that is
all within the airline. Unless there is some sort of criminal
nexus or, you know, TSA or Federal air marshal notification
because of the person, that really is not passed on to local
law enforcement.
Mr. Gimenez. OK. You know, the reason I asked that is the
reason why I asked how often does it happen? Because you could
be overwhelmed. But if it is something which is rare, or not
that usual, then you may be able to put a law enforcement
officer there just to make sure that we don't have another Fort
Lauderdale. That is all, OK? So, thank you. With that, I yield
back. I yield back.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Ranking Member. I
recognize Representative Sheila Jackson Lee as the last Member
to question.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, thank you
for the questions. I am going to go to Mr. Wallis, please.
Again, thank you. Mr. Wallis, we were in a line of questioning
about just what happens with the process at the checkpoint. In
spite of your very effective sort of narrative, what happens is
that there are different laws that you deal with in different
States. Is that not accurate, Mr. Wallis?
Mr. Wallis. Yes. Yes, that is correct.
Ms. Jackson Lee. So, you follow those State laws in terms
of the individual that is there. So, let me try to go back to
what has to happen with different TSOs. So, some of them--do
most of them wind up with a gun in their possession? Do you
escort the person out do you think with the gun if you, you
know, view it as a civil and you are convinced that they really
didn't know and had a mistake? I remember some of the
incidences where the person ran and so it was more than that.
And got lost inside in all the confusion and airports were
literally they came to their knees, to be honest with you.
There were not planes going in and out. The people couldn't
move around. But let me yield to you for your response.
Mr. Wallis. Yes, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, thank you for
the question. Yes, and over the years, we have developed some
procedures here locally, not every airport. We didn't used to
do this originally. But now when we come into contact with a
firearm, because we had such a problem with exactly what you
are mentioning of just handing a firearm back to an owner and
letting them walk back through the ticket lobby, what we do now
is we break the gun down. We actually put it in the same kind
of a box. It is a very unassuming cardboard box which is handed
back to the owner and we do escort them out of the public area.
It is a concern and it is the best we have come up with so far.
But ultimately to your point, yes, we hand the firearm back and
the person does receive it if there is no criminal charge.
Ms. Jackson Lee. They walk themselves out, typically?
Mr. Wallis. We usually walk them a minimum as far as the
front of the terminal. Sometimes a little farther. But, yes,
once they get to the pedestrian areas of the airport, they are
in possession of their item.
Ms. Jackson Lee. So, maybe I didn't hear this. What about
the individual that says, keep it, I have got to get on my
flight. What happens with that person?
Mr. Wallis. We have done that as well. We do have
permission boxes on our evidence and property forms for
destruction. But I would say a problem with that, and I am
working with our local district attorney and this is a problem
that comes up across the country, if somebody changes their
mind, and it is not a piece of evidence, we have a problem.
Then, since we are in possession of that firearm, even if we
want to give it back, we have to follow the ATF rules for
transfer of a firearm. So, we have had that happen quite
frequently where someone changes their mind once they are back
from their trip and we haven't already destroyed the weapon.
They have consented. We process it. It is waiting for
destruction. They changed their mind or their attorney calls us
and says they have changed their mind. Or they can get a
judge's order that says they have changed their mind. We wind
up having to follow a pretty labor-intensive process of
firearms transfer rules that dealers have to go through.
Ms. Jackson Lee. So, it would be helpful if all airports
had major signage as people even put their first foot into
maybe in the parking garage as well as first foot into that
open area as they come into check-in?
Mr. Wallis. I do think consistent signage that lists the
fine and have the firearm with the prohibited sign would be
very effective. I am sensitive to airport property owners
because I know there are a lot of signs. But, yes, signage, I
think, would be helpful, if not for a deterrent, also if we do
have somebody who is a bad actor and we can articulate signs
were there, they were informed of the rules at check-in at the
counter. There was another sign at the screening queue. It does
potentially help with intent. If we do have a true bad actor,
not just somebody who forgot, it does help us with resolution.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Some penalties that might be more
effective might be helpful as well.
Mr. Wallis. I do believe so, yes.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. May I quickly go to Mr.
Bheodari and just to you in your airport work just tell us how
we can enhance airports to encourage airports to really invest
in signage because a weapon is so dangerous to the general
public and those who are flying.
Mr. Bheodari. So, thank you, Congresswoman. Signage have to
be multilingual and it has to be dynamic and eye-catching. It
has to draw the attention of the traveling public. That is what
we are doing here in Atlanta is we are looking at an entire
suite of packaged styling and dynamic signs of how we could
draw their attention before they submit themselves to
screening. That you know what? A gun is not permitted in the
security screening checkpoint. I think Congress ought to
discuss this issue with the TSA and have a National discussion
on messaging this to the general traveling public.
Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you so very much. Thank you, Madam
Chair and Ranking Member.
Chairwoman Watson Coleman. You are welcome. You are
welcome. With that I would like to--I notice that there are no
more questions to be asked in the second round by any different
new members. So, I would like to thank each and every one of
the witnesses today. You have been very helpful. You certainly
enlightened us and given us some current guidance on where
things we need to look at and go in the next direction.
The Members of the subcommittee may have additional
questions even after this quite exhaustive hearing that we have
had. So, we would ask that you respond expeditiously in writing
to those questions should you receive them. The Chair reminds
the Members of the subcommittee that the committee's record
will remain open for 10 days. Without objection, I pray that
you all stay safe, stay well, and the subcommittee stands
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 3:26 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
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