Inside Washington: Key Senators, Labor Unions Blast TSA Plan to Allow Sharp Items

Inside Washington: Key Senators, Labor Unions Blast TSA Plan to Allow Sharp Items

December 31, 2005

Key lawmakers and labor unions are strongly objecting to the Transportation Security Administration's decision to once again allow certain sharp items to be carried by passengers on airlines. Senate Commerce, Science and TransportationCommittee chair Ted Stevens (R-AK) raised strong concerns with the about-to-be-implemented policy at a Dec. 12 Senate hearing, and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) subsequently introduced a bill to halt TSA's policy shift.Among the items that were prohibited by TSA and will now be permitted on flights are scissors with a cutting surface of four inches or less, and screwdrivers and other tools, as long as they are less than seven inches long.Speaking at a Dec. 12 hearing, Edmond Hawley, assistant secretary for TSA, said that the threats posed by such objects are comparatively small to those posed by explosives and other possible weapons. By putting a greater emphasis onexplosive detection, Hawley said, TSA believes it will make flights safer."Although we understand that some passengers and crew members would prefer a cabin environment in which no potential weapons exist," he said, "it is clear that goal is impossible to achieve. Pens, keys, belts and even bare hands can be used as weapons. The list of items that are now permitted on planes that could be turned into weapons is almost limitless, but we judge their threat to taking control of an aircraft as extremely limited."But Clinton and other lawmakers disagree. Clinton's bill would prevent TSA from removing any items from its prohibited list. Stevens said he would support the bill if it will include a limit to one carry-on bag per passenger, a Stevensspokesperson said.At press time, a spokesperson for Clinton said it was unclear when or if the bill would come to a vote.The flight attendants union also strongly opposes TSA's policy shift. Patricia Friend, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, testified at the Dec. 12 hearing that the prohibitive list is an important component of flight safety."The prohibited items list is an integral layer in making our aviation system secure and it must remain in place," Friend said. "We believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the lives of all flight attendants and the passengers we work so hard to keep safe and secure."James Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, also expressed concern with TSA's changes."Simply put, the TSA has no compelling reason to allow passengers to carry sharp scissors or tools on aircraft," he said in a written statement.The Transport Workers Union International also released a statement opposing the changes.But TSA's Hawley said the changes will keep terrorists from knowing exactly what to expect from a screening."It is paramount to the security of our aviation system that terrorists not be able to know with certainty what screening procedures they will encounter at airports around the nation," he said.The TSA press release also states that its 43,000 Transportation Security Screeners were re-classified as Transportation Security Officers."This new classification," the statement reads, "illustrates that TSOs will be more empowered than ever before to use their knowledge and training to detect and defeat terrorists and to focus their attention to areas where the threat is greatest."At press time, the changes were scheduled to go into effect Dec. 22.

The article originally appeared inInside Washington on December 29, 2005.