Pilot Group Examines DHS Nominee
Congress continues focus
on security Aviation not alone in the spotlight during Chertoff
confirmation hearing Yesterday was Tom Ridge's last day as
Secretary of Homeland Security. Today his likely successor, federal
appeals court Judge Michael Chertoff, confidently told the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security what things would be like on his
watch. AOPA legislative affairs staff present at the hearing report
that Chertoff said it was important that the department not focus
on just one segment like aviation while ignoring significant
problems in other areas, such as the vulnerability of the nation's
seaports.
"We will certainly encourage Judge Chertoff (right) to point
Homeland Security at the areas where there are truly significant
threats to Americans," said AOPA President Phil Boyer, "because
tonight, with the Washington ADIZ closed for the State of the Union
address, and TFRs popping up across the nation the rest of the week
for the President's travels, general aviation feels like it remains
in the spotlight. And we have demonstrated over and over that our
small, slow aircraft aren't the real threats."
Chertoff also promised to improve technology and management at
the Homeland Security Department. It will be a monumental task.
"You're stepping into a situation that can only be described as
dysfunctional," Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) told the nominee.
That echoed testimony
before the committee from last week. At that first meeting of the
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
security experts assessed the department's performance and strategy
for the road ahead. Panel members testified that security for
airplanes has been addressed, and it is time to move on to
improving security for surface transportation.
Richard Skinner, acting inspector general for the Department of
Homeland Security, told the committee, "While TSA continues to
address critical aviation security needs, it is moving slowly to
improve security across other modes of transportation."
Last year, the chair of
the Homeland Security Committee, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), and
ranking member Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) were the primary
sponsors and leading force behind the Intelligence Reform Act
(often referred to as the Collins/Lieberman Act). A portion of this
act mandates the FAA to modify the pilot certificate to include a
photo of the airman.
In today's hearing, Judge Chertoff didn't mention general
aviation. He did promise, however, to reconcile the imperatives of
security with the preservation of liberty and privacy.
As a judge, he told the committee, "I have committed to
fostering liberty and privacy. If confirmed, I will draw on this
background to promote measures that enhance our security while
affirming our constitutional values."
The committee will likely vote on Chertoff's nomination
Monday.