HOMELAND INSECURITY
Armed-pilot bill gains steam in Senate
Twin measures give Congress final say on guns in cockpits

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Posted: June 19, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Jon Dougherty
? 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

A Senate bill that would give Congress the final say over whether to allow commercial airline pilots to fly with firearms is making headway, while a similar measure in the House has been scheduled for debate.

The Senate measure, called the “Arming Pilots Against Terrorism and Cabin Defense Act of 2002,” or S. 2554, which was introduced May 23 by Sen. Robert Smith, R-N.H., has since been referred to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Like its cousin in the House, the Senate bill would amend federal statutes to allow commercial pilots who volunteer for federally approved training to fly armed.

“The pilots want this program, the flight attendants support the legislation, and the American people want additional means to be protected against future acts of terrorism,” Smith said when introducing the bill last month. “Our legislation is the best way to allow voluntary implementation of programs, so that pilots can provide the first line of deterrence and the last line of defense.”

“The pilots and flight attendants bear ultimate responsibility for the safety of their plane and passenger,” said Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., a co-sponsor of Smith’s bill.

“This legislation would give trained pilots an additional resource to maintain total control of their aircraft, and provide training to flight attendants,” Burns said. “We must do all we can to ensure that the tragedy of 9-11 is never allowed to be repeated.”

Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, introduced the House version.

According to officials at Gun Owners of America, which is tracking both bills, 11 senators so far have cosponsored Smith’s measure. Only one ? Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia ? is a Democrat.

The bills were introduced after the Bush administration decided in May against implementing an armed-pilot provision included in an aviation security measure signed into law last fall, following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Under the terms of that legislation, Under Secretary for Transportation John Magaw, head of the newly created Transportation Security Administration, was given the authority to decide whether or not to allow pilots to fly armed. Both the Smith and Young bills take that discretionary authority away.

“Currently, pilots and airline passengers are defenseless against terrorist efforts to take over their planes,” said a Gun Owners of America e-mail alert. “And, with F-16 fighter jets positioned to shoot down hijacked airplanes, it is only a matter of time until the current policy of disarming pilots results in another terrible calamity.”

Eryn Witcher, a spokeswoman for Smith, said the House bill was scheduled to be debated this week, but she told WorldNetDaily the Senate version was still in committee.

Witcher also said Smith was scheduled to get an award Monday in New Hampshire from a pair of pilots’ organizations “for all his work on the armed-pilot issue.”

The Airline Pilots’ Security Alliance and the Allied Pilots Association ? the collective bargaining agent for American Airlines pilots ? will be represented at the awards ceremony, Witcher said.