Corker Says Collective Bargaining Provision Threatens Security, Kept Him From Voting for 9/11 Bill

Press Release

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) today voted against S.4, the 9/11 Commission Recommendations bill, because it contains an amendment which he says would "unnecessarily complicate potential national security decisions and put the responsibility on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to explain why they made a decision to act in the interest of national security.

"I appreciate the hard work that so many people put into this bill. It's a shame that it continues to contain this collective bargaining provision for TSA employees, which was not part of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations and could threaten the safety of travelers," said Corker.

Because the transportation sector is uniquely vulnerable to potential terrorist attacks, the Transportation Security Act of 2001 provided for flexibility for personnel performing vital homeland security roles. The amendment subjects the TSA to a collective bargaining system, and the parameters are left largely undefined. It also impedes the ability of TSA to rapidly respond to an emergency by hindering the capacity of the administration to locate resources where needed, when needed.

Corker was one of the 36 U.S. senators who signed a letter to President Bush objecting to the amendment and pledging to sustain a presidential veto of the bill if it included the provision.

S. 4 passed the Senate by a vote of 60 to 38.

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