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"In these challenging times, our state
and nation cannot afford the risk of a terrorist obtaining a pilot's
uniform and using it to breach airport security," the governor
wrote. "We've made great strides in Illinois, and across the
country, in our efforts to secure the homeland. I urge you to carry
on this effort and quickly address this potential threat."
The governor sent letters calling for
action to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman,
D-Connecticut, the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, as well
as David Stone, assistant secretary of homeland security for the
Transportation Security Administration.
The Transportation Security
Administration is in charge of the security checkpoints at airports,
where pilots are required to go through metal detectors and have
their identification verified. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack
Obama have also urged Congress and the Transportation Security
Administration to work toward closing this loophole.
To address this issue in Illinois,
the governor supports
House Bill 1559, introduced by House Minority Leader Tom Cross,
R-Plainfield, which would make it illegal to enter the secure areas
of an airport while impersonating an airline pilot.
"I found it very disturbing at how
easy it was to obtain a pilot's uniform without giving any form of
identification," Cross said. "I will work with the governor and our
federal officials to ensure our airports in Illinois are as secure
as possible."
The governor will also appeal to the
Air Line Pilots Association to require the destruction of its
members' old or unused pilot uniforms in order to prevent those
uniforms from making their way into the wrong hands.
[News release from the
governor's office]
[to top
of second column]
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Text of the Feb. 3 letter from Gov. Blagojevich to Sen. Susan
Collins, chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee; Sen. Joseph Lieberman, ranking member of the
committee; and David Stone, assistant secretary of homeland security
for the Transportation Security Administration:
I am writing to bring
to your attention the issue of commercial airline pilot uniforms
being purchased on the Internet without verification that the buyer
is actually a pilot. [To Collins and Lieberman:] I hope that you
will consider holding hearings to fully investigate this matter in
the Senate. [To Stone:] I would like to encourage you to
fully investigate this matter and take the actions you feel are
appropriate to address it.] Chicago, Illinois' airports
handle more air passenger traffic than any other city in the world.
In these challenging times our State, and nation, cannot afford the
risk of a terrorist obtaining a pilot's uniform and using it to
breach airport security.
I want to support the
efforts of Senator Durbin and Senator Obama on this issue. Illinois
has become a nationally recognized leader in homeland security.
However, our work is just beginning.
Here in Illinois I will
be introducing legislation that would make it illegal to enter the
secure areas of an airport while impersonating an airline pilot. I
will also call on the Air Line Pilots Association to work to require
the destruction of its members' old or unused pilot uniforms.
We've made great
strides in Illinois, and across the country, in our efforts to
secure the homeland. I urge you to carry on this effort and quickly
address this potential threat. Thank you for your attention to this
vital matter. Sincerely,
Rod Blagojevich
Governor, State of Illinois |
