Aviation security bill unveiled in House

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a White House-backed plan to make the nation's airways safer that includes new federal controls over airport security.

The bill faces a tough challenge from a Senate-passed measure that would go further by making all airport screeners federal employees.

"Our bill makes our air safe," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska. He said he was "frustrated and a little hostile right now" about the disagreement on federalization that has threatened to delay congressional action on the issue.

Battle begins

Signaling the start of a high-decibel battle, two House lawmakers also said they will champion the Senate bill in the House. The Senate version passed last week on a 100-0 vote. House Democrats have already outlined their alternative, which generally follows the Senate bill.

The aviation security bill is the third major leg of Congress' response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, preceded by passage of a $40 billion emergency spending bill and a $15 billion bill to prop up struggling airlines. But unlike the other two largely bipartisan efforts, this bill has seen a deep philosophical rift over the federal government's role in airport security.

The Senate bill fully federalizes the 28,000 screeners and other security personnel at the nation's largest airports while allowing less busy airports to use local or state law enforcement officers for screening purposes. That approach has been rejected by House conservatives unwilling to create a new bureaucracy.

Following Europe's model

The House legislation, outlined by Young and aviation subcommittee chairman John Mica, R-Fla., would put the government in charge of overseeing and training screeners and assign at least one federal security manager to each airport screening station. But it would leave screening personnel in the private sector.

They argue that this is the model that has worked well in Europe and Israel. It is also supported by President Bush, who said Monday: "We must resist pressure to unwisely expand government."

The GOP bill would also establish a new Transportation Security Administration within the Transportation Department responsible for security for all modes of transportation.

The two sides are in agreement on many other aspects of the legislation, including fortification of cockpit doors, more air marshals on commercial flights and anti-hijack training for flight crews.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said last week that if Congress doesn't agree on a package, Bush has "broad authority" to enact by executive order most parts of a security plan. Democrats said the nation's safety cannot be guaranteed by executive order.

At a news conference Tuesday at Washington's Reagan National Airport, House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt said he could "no longer stand by while a handful in the House of Representatives prevent dramatic reform of aviation security."

"That is politics," House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, a staunch opponent of federalization, said of the Missouri Democrat's comments. "What the Democrats want is 30,000 new dues-paying union members."

Armey said he hoped to bring aviation security to the floor for a vote next week, while acknowledging that he was unsure he had the votes to pass the plan backed by GOP leaders.