Conference catfight

Air Safety Week, Nov 5, 2001

Late last week, by a vote of 286-139, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an aviation security bill (HR 3150) that gives the Bush Administration the option of leaving front-line security screeners in the employ of private screening companies. Three weeks ago, the Senate passed a bill (S 1447) by a vote of 100-0 that would federalize the aviation screening process by adding 28,000 people to the U.S.

Department of Justice to perform passenger and baggage screening. The ideological differences in the two bills will have to be resolved by a conference committee (see ASW, Oct. 29). As a footnote to the House bill, the American Federation of Musicians managed to insert a provision exempting musical instruments from carry-on baggage limits. >TK Southwest Airlines [LUV]: