McDermott Comments on TSA Management
Changes at Sea-Tac Airport
For Immediate Release - May 10, 2004

Washington D.C. - Following the announcement of TSA Management Changes at Sea-Tac airport, Congressman Jim McDermott released the following Statement.

"Today's announcement by David Stone, Acting Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that all four senior managers at Sec-Tac are being removed immediately proves that people matter and that courageous federal employees can- and must- come forward when they see failures in management.

"Sea-Tac screeners first approached me last December with numerous and serious allegations of mismanagement at Sea-Tac. I took the issue directly to Homeland Secretary Tom Ridge, and to his credit an in-depth investigation was launched. Today we are seeing the results of that investigation. I applaud TSA for confronting the issue head-on.

"The screeners who risked their jobs to bring these issues to light should be commended, and serve as role models for screeners everywhere. TSA screeners are the nation's first line of defense at our airports, and we are all safer as a result of their courage.

"As federal employees, the screeners were able to contact me, and we were able to work with TSA to find the truth. Private, contracted screeners would have no such recourse. I have argued since TSA's inception that screeners should be given the right to unionize, to protect them from such abuses. A stable and focused workforce of screeners is essential to protecting airline employees and passengers."