House aviation security bill may not take off

House Republicans tentatively plan to bring their controversial aviation security bill to the floor on Wednesday, if they can cobble together enough votes to pass it.

Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, outlined the details of the legislation on Oct. 17. The Senate's bill, passed 100-0 on Oct. 11, would require most airport screeners to be federal employees. But the House Republicans' proposal would mandate federal oversight while still allowing private screeners.

"We give the President and his administration the flexibility they need to have the best possible employees in our airports," Young said.

House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and other conservative Republicans vigorously oppose federalizing airport security personnel.

The Bush administration has sent mixed signals, saying that it would prefer increased government oversight of screeners without federalization, but also hinting it would accept federalization if both the House and Senate approved it.

Jane Garvey, the Federal Aviation Administration administrator, said in an Oct. 17 speech at the National Press Club that the most important thing is "strong and increased federal management and federal control" over the screeners.

Complicating matters further in the House, Reps. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa, and Robert A. Andrews, D-N.J., have introduced the Senate bill in their chamber, while the ranking member of Transportation and Infrastructure, James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., has introduced his own bill.