TSA: Fee increase will not fund aviation security Senate Commerce Committee members grilled Transportation Security Administration Assistant Secretary David Stone about the Bush administration's proposal to raise security fees this year by $1.5 billion at a hearing Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Led by committee chairman, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, and ranking member, Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, several senators expressed concern that the proposed fee increase comes at a time when airlines cannot afford it, and that the fare increase also places an unreasonable burden on passengers. Senate Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns pointed out that the proposed fee increase would be especially harmful to passengers in rural states, and he pressed Assistant Secretary Stone on how the additional money raised by the fee increase would be used. Stone conceded that the $1.5 billion would not increase the amount spent on aviation security but would be used for deficit reduction. In other words, the proposed fee increase is a tax on airlines to reduce the budget deficit. CO and other Air Transport Association member airlines are leading an aggressive effort on Capitol Hill to defeat the Bush administration's proposed security-fee increase. Airlines will pay the U.S. government $15.8 billion in special taxes and fees in 2005. Roger EWROPS