WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, members of the US House of Representatives fought over how to combat the growing number of travelers trying to carry firearms through airport checkpoints in hand luggage.
During 2021, employees of the Transport Security Administration revealed There are 5,972 firearms at checkpoints, 86 percent of which are loaded. This number has increased compared to the previous record of 4432 set in 2019.
The Committee on Transport and Maritime Security of Internal Security received several suggestions during hearings on how to combat this increase, although Democrats and Republicans disagreed on how best to reduce the number of passengers bringing weapons to airports and their motivations.
“I find it hard to believe that 90 percent of the people who were caught with a gun in their bag forgot that they had it. And even if they forget they have it, it’s still an illegal act and should be treated as such, “said commission chair Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat from New Jersey.
Experts from across the country have suggested a number of options to keep weapons from hitting planes. These included improved wages and job rights for TSA observers, higher fines for people caught trying to get through security with hand luggage, and adding these people to the banned list.
But Democrats and Republicans on the subcommittee disagreed on whether or not the nearly 6,000 TSA inspectors who were caught last year with guns really tried to shove a gun into a plane.
Balram Beodari, general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, and Ralph Catier, director of Miami International Airport, testified that about 90-95 percent of people caught with handguns said they forgot about it. was there.
Florida Republican MP Carlos A. Jimenez, a senior member of the commission, said the best way to probably reduce the number of people bringing weapons to airports is to add more signs that remind people they can’t take weapons in the plane.
“I’m not sure where the increased fines prevent this, because it was a mistake,” Jimenez said. “You could charge me $ 100,000; if I forgot there was something there, I’m not sure it’s something to prevent. ”
Jason D. Wallis, Portland, Oregon Police Chief, who testified on behalf of the airport’s law enforcement network, was skeptical that more than 90 percent of people caught with handguns had actually forgotten about their weapons.
“I could be a little more pessimistic than some. I don’t always trust people when they say they forgot about it, ”Wallis said. “Some obviously did. But again, this is a very, in my opinion, irresponsible possession of weapons. And to forget that you have a loaded pistol in your bag, which you give to TSA for verification, is a problem for me. “
In addition to proposals for additional tokens, higher fines, mandatory gun safety training, revocation of trusted traveler status, and listing of people banned from flying, subcommittee members also heard about salaries and handling of TSA inspections.
Greg Regan, president of the AFL-CIO Department of Transportation, called on Congress to pass two bills that would give transportation safety workers the same rights and protection in the workplace as other federal employees, and ban the movement of revenue from aviation security fees. to non-security activities.
“Ultimately, the identification and confiscation of weapons at these checkpoints rests on the shoulders of the TSO,” Regan said. “There is no response to the action or antidote to the current increase in the number of firearms carried with illegal passengers more efficient than a well-trained TSO workforce with good handling.”
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