House, Senate negotiators strike deal to federalize airport security

House and Senate aviation conference committee leaders said today that they have a tentative deal on aviation security that will dramatically overhaul the system and federalize airport security employees, at least for the immediate future.

After the agreement is drafted and reviewed by all conferees today, House and Senate leaders said a vote could occur in both chambers by Friday and be sent to the President before the Thanksgiving recess.

Congressional leaders and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta were briefed by conferees, and are all said to be in agreement.

"This is a very good agreement. It gives us the promise of federal supervisors and a specific blueprint for security," said Senate Commerce ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., who helped broker the deal.

"The speaker views this as a big victory for the American people," said a spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who said the House GOP leadership is on board, despite some members' concerns with federalizing all airport security personnel.

Although the ink on an agreement was not yet dry, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, today signaled his willingness to accept a compromise that involves a federal "opt-out," which DeLay said would allow President Bush needed flexibility.

"It does give the President and the airports the opportunity to do what is right," DeLay said.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, who said the House would not recess for Thanksgiving until it passed an aviation security conference report, said he would schedule a vote immediately.

Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., called on Bush to begin implementation of some of the provisions in the bill immediately, regardless of congressional progress.

"The National Guard should be behind counters screening every bag before it goes into the belly of an aircraft," he said.

He also said that retired police officers and military police should be posted to flights in the interim period before enactment of a law.

The deal, according to various members of the conference, would provide a one-year transition for all airport security to be taken over by the federal government and supervised by a new deputy for transportation security under the Transportation Department.

Following the one-year transition, the deal would call for a two-year period in which all airport security personnel would be federal employees, subject to the restrictions against unionization and striking that were in the Senate bill. After that period, airports could request to opt out of the federal system and use private screeners or local law enforcement instead. Also, five airports could choose to undertake pilot projects with a private workforce, based on size, at any time.

Passengers would pay the increased security costs through a $2.50 emplanement fee, which would max out at $5 per one-way trip.