- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.
lawmakers reached a deal on Thursday to turn airport security over to the
government, after weeks of wrangling about how to make flying safer following
the Sept. 11 attacks by hijacked airliners.
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- They did so just in time to get something into law before
next week's Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally the busiest travel time
of the year. Leaders of both chambers endorsed the agreement and predicted
its passage in votes due Friday.
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- ``The fact is, the American people know when they start
to travel for the holidays, life is going to be safe, and planes are going
to be safe,'' House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, declared
of the deal struck by a handful of key lawmakers.
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- Under the accord, within a year the nation's airports
would be placed under one security system supervised by the Department
of Transportation, with the security screeners that are now hired by private
companies working for the government.
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- But after another two years, airports would be able to
``opt out'' of the system and go back to letting private companies do the
baggage screening if they wished.
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- Meanwhile five pilot projects will be allowed to demonstrate
the public-private partnership in screening that many congressional Republicans
wanted -- instead of a federal workforce of 28,000 screeners favored by
many Democrats.
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- ``This is the most comprehensive aviation security transportation
measure ever ... This covers 100 percent of the airports and the traveling
public,'' said Florida Republican Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House
aviation subcommittee.
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- ``I predict it is going to pass overwhelmingly in both
houses,'' said Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi,
who aides credited with midwifing the compromise.
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- BUSH COMMENDS LAWMAKERS
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- Congress has been battling for weeks over how to make
the nation's aviation system safer in the wake of the Sept. 11 hijacked
airliner attacks on Washington and New York.
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- President Bush commended lawmakers for reaching an agreement,
although he had lobbied hard for a bill the House passed two weeks ago.
It would have put security at all the nation's 400-plus airports in public-private
partnership.
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- Bush said the deal reached on Thursday ``will ultimately
offer local authorities an option to employ the highest quality workforce
-- public or private.'' He looked forward to signing it into law.
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- The proposal would cost between $2.5 billion and $2.6
billion, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said. He said it could
be paid for with a $2.50 ticket fee.
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- The compromise would deal a blow to commercial airport
security companies, the largest being Argenbright Security, a unit of British-based
Securicor Group Plc that has more than 6,000 screeners at 42 U.S. airports.
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- Argenbright in particular has come under heavy criticism
by lawmakers for a series of recent security foul-ups. Asked if Argenbright
would be able to continue run airport security under the legislation, Alaska
Republican Rep. Don Young, chairman of the House Transportation Committee,
said: ``No.''
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- But Mica emphasized all companies would face new security
standards in the one-year transition period -- and for possible participation
in the public-private partnership projects.
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- A security industry lobby group that had fought to retain
the role of commercial screeners said its companies were committed to ensuring
a smooth transition.
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- ``We're obviously disappointed that congress largely
has chosen to adopt for now the failed national approach to airport security,''
said Kenneth Quinn, attorney for the Aviation Security Association.
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- ``I'm confident they are going to find the same challenges
we did -- imperfect technology and inevitable human error.''
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- BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY
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- On Oct. 11, the Senate unanimously passed a bill putting
the government in charge of airport safety, making baggage screeners government
employees. Its authors were South Carolina Democrat Ernest Hollings and
Arizona Republican John McCain.
-
- But legislation written by Young and Mica and approved
by the House on Nov. 1 kept the screeners in the private sector while having
the government set safety standards. It passed after Bush telephoned some
lawmakers in support.
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- Both sides claimed victory on Thursday.
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- ``The bottom line is, the federal government will be
in control of safety and security,'' Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle,
a South Dakota Democrat, said.
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- House Republicans asserted that much of the compromise
mirrored the House version of the bill. ``We now have a good plan,'' House
Republican Whip Tom DeLay said.
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- The accord includes a modified amendment to the House
bill that would extend protections against lawsuits over Sept. 11.
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- Mica said it would protect airplane engine makers, the
World Trade Center leveled in the attacks, and Boeing Corp., manufacturer
of the hijacked planes. But baggage screening companies would not be protected,
he said.
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- Other provisions include screening all checked baggage
within two years. Weapons would be allowed in the cockpit -- if they are
approved by a new undersecretary at the Department of Transportation.
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- The new federal baggage screeners would not be able to
strike or have civil service protection but could join unions.
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