Lawmaker is Author of 100% Air Cargo Screening Mandate in Law Implementing Recommendations of 9/11 Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), author of the mandate in the law implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission requiring screening of all air cargo on passenger planes by August 2010, issued the following statement today marking the screening deadline.

“While progress has been made toward screening all air cargo carried on passenger planes, many challenges still remain,” said Markey. “If I were to grade the progress to date, I would give it an incomplete. According to the report I requested from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), less than two-thirds of all inbound cargo coming into our country from overseas is screened. You wouldn’t want to fly on a plane where less than two thirds of all passengers are screened while the rest walk around the metal detectors.  The same logic should apply to cargo.”

“The next ‘Christmas Day’ bomber could morph into a ‘Cargo Bay’ bomber.  We can’t allow that to happen.” 
 
Since enactment of this mandate in August 2007, Rep. Markey has initiated multiple oversight efforts in this area to ensure that the 100 percent screening mandate is implemented in a manner consistent with congressional intent.

Rep. Markey and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study TSA’s progress in meeting this mandate.

A full copy of the report can be found here: http://homeland.house.gov/SiteDocuments/20100630134134-80640.pdf

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