Hodes Calls For Investigation, Hearings On International Airport Safety

Press Release

Today, Congressman Paul Hodes called on the House Homeland Security Committee to undertake a thorough review of international airport safety standards and procedures in the wake of the attempted terror attack on Christmas Day. In a letter to Chairman Bennie Thompson and Ranking Member Peter King, Congressman Hodes says that the recent attempted attack highlights serious concerns with international airport safety that must be addressed.

"We need a serious and complete review of international airport safety to ensure the safety of Americans traveling abroad," said Congressman Hodes. "The Christmas Day terror attack revealed serious problems with screening and intelligence-sharing methods at international airports, and these problems need to be fixed immediately. Granite Staters deserve the same level of air safety and security they have at home while they are traveling abroad."

In the letter, Congressman Hodes says that in advance of Homeland Security Committee hearings, the Committee should conduct an investigation to determine if the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has the tools and resources it needs to keep Americans safe. He says the focus of the Committee hearing should be on the TSA's ability to protect Americans traveling abroad, screening methods at international airports, and intelligence sharing.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King,

The Christmas Day attempted terror attack on a Detroit-bound flight highlighted several serious problems in our air travel safety systems. Due to insufficient screenings and a failure to share crucial intelligence at international airports, Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab was able to board an airplane with deadly explosives, putting hundreds of American lives at risk. I am writing to request that the Homeland Security Committee complete a comprehensive investigation on how to improve international airport safety.

You have indicated that the Committee will be holding an oversight hearing on this incident in January. As you prepare for this hearing, the Committee should take this opportunity to work to find the causes of this incident, and make recommendations to Congress and to the Department of Homeland Security regarding the solutions to these critical issues. This hearing should be part of a thorough review of international airport safety standards, and ensure that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has the tools and resources it needs to keep Americans safe.

Flights in American airspace that have improperly screened passengers pose the same threat to our national security no matter where they originate. The Christmas Day terror attempt showed that the TSA is unable to fully secure flights that depart from international airports. Unfortunately the terror attempt demonstrated that insufficient passenger screening is not the only problem confronting international airports. A failure to share critical intelligence also aided Mr. Abdulmutallab's efforts to board the plane. President Obama said, "The U.S. government had sufficient information to uncover this plot and potentially disrupt the Christmas Day attack. But our intelligence community failed to connect those dots, which would have placed the suspect on a no-fly list." In addition to rigorous and effective screening methods, TSA officials must ensure that intelligence concerning potential terrorists is shared with international airports to prevent dangerous individuals from boarding airplanes.

The American people deserve to know how the TSA is planning to address these problems in international airport security. I respectfully request that the Homeland Security Committee hold hearings on these issues.

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