Baggage Screening At Issue in House

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The latter half is off topic of the article and has been cut.

Walter
DCA
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20020719/D7KS1MNO1.html


By CURT ANDERSON

WASHINGTON (AP) - Indefinite delay of anti-terrorism screening of airport
baggage is one of the issues confronting a House select committee as it
takes up a measure creating President Bush's Homeland Security Department.

The fine print of the draft 216-page bill, which the House Select Committee
on Homeland Security was to debate Friday, included some surprises such as
prohibition of uniform drivers' license standards and scrapping of a program
critics say could encourage Americans to spy on each other.

The bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, would give Bush
most of the powers and agencies he sought, including moving the Coast Guard,
Customs Service, Secret Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency into
the new Cabinet department.

The legislation, said Democratic Rep. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, "is
basically the president's bill with minor alterations."

Bush, however, did not propose indefinite delay of the Dec. 31 deadline for
all checked airline bags to be screened for explosives. Armey's decision to
include that drew immediate fire from Rep. Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, senior
Democrat on the House Transportation Committee.

"How can you establish a Homeland Security Department and undermine security
by giving this open-ended extension?" Oberstar said.

In a letter to colleagues, Oberstar said the new Transportation Security
Administration - which would become part of Homeland Security under Armey's
bill - repeatedly has assured Congress it can meet the deadline.

Away from the developments on the Hill, a new problem surfaced: John Magaw
resigned as head of the new Transportation Security Administration, created
by Congress in the wake of the September attacks.

He cited health reasons, but an administration official with knowledge of
the situation said Magaw was forced out by Transportation Secretary Norman
Y. Mineta.

 Taking his place will be Adm. James Loy, Magaw's deputy who previously
served as Coast Guard commandant. Now, Loy has to meet a Nov. 19 deadline to
replace private passenger screeners at U.S. airports with an all-federal
work force.

Airports have pressed for a temporary delay, even though they can
individually get one if they cannot meet the deadline.

<snip>

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