Wednesday, November 7, 2001

Why I voted No on federalizing security

By MAC COLLINS
Congressman

Aviation Security Act (HR 3150)

There is no doubt that our nation has suffered a terrible tragedy that requires a swift response. As a consequence of that tragedy, Americans are more concerned than ever about the safety of our air travel. I believe that drastic steps need to be taken to secure our skies from those who would seek to do Americans harm. But HR 3150, as well as other legislation presented so far, is not the right approach.

While I agree with my colleagues in the House and Senate that we need to take steps to secure our airports and the thousands of daily flights that serve our nation, I do not agree that statutorily creating a new government agency is the correct approach. I agree with the bill's intent greater aviation security but I could not, in good conscience, support the bill's means of achieving that intent.

Our nation is served by approximately 500 airports in various regions. Each of those airports is faced with common security concerns. However, because of the diverse designs, cultures, locations, and sizes of those airports, there are concerns specific to each. A one-size-fits-all approach is not the answer. The bill is a knee-jerk reaction that will not successfully address the challenges faced in providing appropriate security for air travelers.

On [Oct. 30], I was at the White House to explain my concern with the bill to President Bush. I told him that a better solution is for the president to exercise his authority to instruct, either by written directive or executive order, the appropriate departments of his existing Cabinet, to set federal guidelines and oversight for airline security. Then, each airport would be responsible for implementing procedures, and complying with these directives.

The main reason behind this approach is the timeliness with which these procedures can be implemented. Because the House and Senate bills are so disparate, months of debate could ensue before Congress can provide the President with a bill. The debate may be so great that a bill cannot be agreed to and the president would be forced to act on his own authority. Rather than falling further behind, the president should proceed with the common-sense approach and take steps to ensure passenger safety today.

In addition, rather than adding 31,000 new employees to the federal payroll at taxpayer expense, airports would be required to hire highly trained law enforcement professionals and put them in place now. HR 3150 will require a significant period of time to properly train personnel and create new procedures to meet each individual airport's need. As we are already lagging seven weeks behind in this process, we should take the fastest and shortest path to fixing security rather than indefinitely delaying the process further.

To sum up; the government needs to create high security standards and leave the implementation to the local airport authority. Any airport that fails to meet those standards would be subject to closure. Because of the vast economic impact of an airport on the community, airports will strive to meet the government standards. This is a solution that is in the best interest of the flying public and can be implemented most effectively and expediently.

Some may argue, because of my stance on this issue, that I am opposed to safeguarding our nation. That could not be further from the truth. I strongly support tougher security measures, accountability for screeners, and a hard-line on terrorists. I just don't believe that HR 3150 is the best way to provide those results. I urge the president to take these actions immediately before further tragic events cause us to regret our delay.

Southeastern Regional Archives

For the past five years I have had the pleasure of working with Clayton College and State University, the Georgia Department of Archives and History, and the National Archives and Records Administration to obtain funding for the new Southeast Regional Archives center. In June I was able to include an amendment to retain funding for this important project in the Treasury and Postal Appropriations Act. As a result of this amendment, the conference report included $28.5 million for construction of a new center, to be constructed on donated property adjacent to Clayton College and State University in Morrow, Ga. This facility is important to preserving our heritage and history for future generations.

Promoting safe and stable families

Earlier last week, the Committee on Ways and Means reported the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments (H.R. 2873). During consideration of the measure, I expressed concern for the need to address a potential adverse impact that adoption laws may have on nontraditional intervention programs.

Agencies are required to hold a "termination proceeding" within 12 months of placement of a child in foster care. These proceedings often limit the placement of that child to only two options reunification with their biological parent or potential removal from their current care environment. The pending legislation should provide that nontraditional child care environments are eligible for permanent child guardianship. One such initiative is the WinShape Homes Program. WinShape Homes was established by Truett Cathy, the founder and CEO of Chick-fil-A Restaurants in 1987, to provide nurturing homes for children who are in need of a stable, secure family environment in which to grow and mature.

Since their inception, WinShape Homes have served over 250 children, and currently there are approximately 125 children in 11 homes. The homes strive to meet all the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children. While WinShape cannot adopt the children in their care, these homes play an integral part in their growth and should remain a viable option under foster care program placement.

Customs Border Security Act (H.R. 3129)

On Wednesday, the Committee on Ways and Means reported the Customs Border Security Act (H.R. 3129) which reauthorizes the budget for the U.S. Customs Service, the International Trade Commission, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The measure includes several important new tools needed in combating terrorism and drug smuggling. In addition, it provides significant measures to stop transshipment of illegal textile products into the U.S. a major concern of the domestic textile and apparel industry.

Specifically, the bill requires an audit of the effectiveness of Customs Services programs tasked with preventing transshipment to determine the most effective deterrents. It also includes $9.5 million in additional funding in fiscal year 2002 for the purpose of enhancing textile transshipment operations.

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