Lowey Renews Call for 100% Screening of Airport Employees as JFK Employees Arrested

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today renewed her call for screening of all airport workers with access to secure and sterile areas, as 18 employees at New York’s John F. Kennedy international airport were charged with drug smuggling.

“This is an excellent example of why we should better screen airport employees,” said Lowey. We screen passengers and baggage using air travel, yet airport workers have routine access to secure areas without any screening whatsoever. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Lowey’s legislation (H.R. 1413) would mandate that the Transportation Security Administration implement a pilot program at seven commercial service airports to screen all workers with access to secure and sterile area, and to assess vulnerability of each airport. Employees would be screened under the same standards as those that apply to passengers at airport screening checkpoints. H.R. 1413 passed the House Homeland Security Committee on August 1.

Opponents of screening airport employees claim that required background checks of employees make daily screening unnecessary, a claim contradicted by today’s arrests of 18 employees for helping drug traffickers smuggle heroin and cocaine.

“Today’s arrests at JFK underscore that meticulously screening passengers and baggage while turning a blind eye to employees is like installing an expensive home security system but leaving your back door wide open.”