By Adrianna McGinley
The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on legislation that would expedite airport security screening for members of the Armed Forces.
H.R. 1801 would give the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) six months to implement a risk-based system for screening members of the military and their families traveling on official orders.
The legislation, introduced by Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), was sparked in 2007 when 200 soldiers traveling home from Iraq to Hawaii were detained during a layover at Oakland International Airport and denied entry to the passenger terminal.
“Our soldiers who are putting their lives on the line in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere should be afforded extra respect when returning home to their loved ones and shouldn’t be viewed as potential terrorists in our airports,” Cravaack said.
The House Committee on Homeland Security unanimously agreed in September to bring the legislation to the floor for consideration.
Staff
As expected, the Risk-Based Screening for Members of the Armed Services Act passed the House unanimously Tuesday evening. The vote tally was 404-0.