Date: 2013-06-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

To the managers of this important legislation. to Judge CARTER and to Mr. PRICE. thank you for working on what is an enormously important message and mission of our Nation. and that is to secure America. Im grateful to have the opportunity to work with the authorizers. Chairman MCCAUL and Ranking Member THOMPSON. and to work with the ranking member and chairperson of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security. Mr. HUDSON and Mr. RICHMOND. Having just flown in from a memorial. and as Members often do. and as we interact with our constituents. we know a lot about flying. So it is very important that this amendment be taken as it has been offered. I congratulate my cosponsorsMr. GRIMM. Mr. MARKEY. Mr. REED. Mr. SWALWELL and Mr. COOKall of whom we have worked together with. For it is interesting that this has come to a point where today we can thank Administrator Pistole for his thoughtfulness in this process and the deliberations that took place. that the announcement comes that he too understands that allowing knives on planes is not the right decision. But in addition to the important statement of knives. we now know that other accessories. such as baseball bats and billiard cues and ski poles and hockey sticks and la crosse sticks. among others. and golf clubs. likewise have been included in his statement. This amendment deals with knives. The reason why this is very important is because we should reaffirm the fact. as a member of the Homeland Security Committeeand for many of us who started on this committee after the heinous tragedy of 9111. many of us who went to Ground Zero during the recovery period because of the horrific tragedy. smoke was still billowing from those terrible tragic issueswe too know what homeland security is. It is a promise to America to do everything we can to ensure the security of the homeland. And so it is important to take note of Administrator Pistoles very thoughtful concern. and that concern. of course. was the idea of security. This amendment will give comfort to the issue of security. We know there are issues of safety. We want to make sure that seatbelts are on. and we want to make sure that seats work and bathroom doors work on a plane in flight. We want to make sure that passengers remain in seats during difficult weather. But security is an important question. And today. this amendment takes a stand for security. I am glad that after 9111 we did have reinforced doors for the cockpit. we did have the ability of pilots to be trained and to be able to have weapons on board behind that cockpitall in the name of security. Well. let me tell you. that a knife that has been measured by the eye. that then is allowed to get on the plane. it can be a weapon against security. And today. we are saying that we need to codify in law the idea that knives will never be allowed to be on planes. Human beings are in the cockpit. our very able pilots. And flight attendants and passengers. grandmas and family vacationers and college students and business persons and our warriors. both wounded and not. and many others travel on airplanes. going home to loved ones. traveling to funerals. and going to joyful occasions. It is very clear that a knife can be a threat to security. It can be a threat to security because. in fact. even as our valiant flight attendants who have been given required flight attendant training. which we are continuing to work on. they will be the first to stand up against an individual attempting to take a plane or to be able to threaten all of the passengers. to create an insecure atmosphere. And who knows what pilots will be thinking of. will be required to do? Who knows what an unmanned. unair marshaled plane. or even one with an air marshal. will do when there are a number of those who are on the flight with knives. So I ask my colleagues to vote for security and vote for the GrimmMarkeyJackson LeeReedSwalwellCook amendment to keep knives off of planes. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chair. I want to thank Congressman