FederalDaily - November 7, 2007
Senators Vow to Stop Industry-Sponsored CPSC Trips
A group of senators has joined together to protest the recently-revealed practices of Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC) officials who accepted airline tickets and hotel rooms that were paid for
by the very industries the agency is supposed to be keeping an eye on. In a Nov. 2 letter to CPSC’s
acting chairperson, Nancy Nord, the senators said the trips reveal a disturbingly cozy relationship
between various industries and her agency, which is charged with protecting consumers from dangerous
products. According to published accounts, the group said, industry sources paid $60,000 in airfare,
hotel and meal expenses for travel to China, Spain, New Orleans, San Francisco and other destinations.
The group, led by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Ill, also noted that some of those
trips were paid for by industry representatives linked to hazardous products. The senators say they
plan to strengthen the CPSC Reform Act of 2007 when it comes to the Senate floor by including a ban
on travel sponsored by manufacturers, trade associations or lobbying groups. They also requested that
Nord take immediate steps to modify CPSC travel policy to avert any real or perceived conflict-of-interest
between industry and the agency. To see more, go to: http://durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=286722
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Congressman Exposes Cheating In TSA Security Exercise
Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., on Nov. 2 alerted Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) officials that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) appeared to
be giving advance warning of airport security tests. In a letter to DHS, Thompson noted that an e-mail
was sent in 2006 to all TSA Federal Security Directors and other airport staff warning them of upcoming
undercover airport security tests. In the e-mail, recipients were given specific information about
the methods the testers would be using and a description of the testers themselves, Thompson said. “Obviously,
any effort to undermine the integrity of covert testing of TSA’s screening checkpoints is unacceptable,” Thompson
wrote. “I have directed committee staff to examine the circumstances surround this email.” In
a letter to Edmund S. Hawley, DHS assistant secretary, Thompson asked for the names of those responsible
for writing and sending out the email. To see more, go to: http://homeland.house.gov/press/index.asp?ID=295&SubSection=1&Issue=0&DocumentType=0&PublishDate=0
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Controllers Say Air Traffic Delays Will Likely Worsen
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) on Nov. 5 issued a warning that air travel
delays could worsen this holiday season because of a continued shortfall of trained controllers working
in airport control towers. NATCA estimated by Thanksgiving, there will be about 7.5 percent fewer fully
trained controllers working than last year. Currently, there are 3,107 veteran controllers who have
either reached retirement eligibility, or will do so, before October 2008, the union said. NATCA President
Patrick Forrey said that without a new contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), most
of them will leave soon, causing delays both this holiday season and in the 2008 summer travel season. “We
continue to impress upon Congress the urgency in passing legislation that resolves our contract issues
with the FAA before the end of this calendar year,” said Forrey. The House in September passed
an FAA reauthorization bill that would require that agency to return to the table to negotiate with
NATCA over a new contract, but the Senate has not yet acted to match the House bill’s language.
To see more, go to: www.natca.org/mediacenter/press-release-detail.aspx?id=464
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