[Rep. John Culberson is a first-term Republican from Texas, just west of Houston. http://www.house.gov/culberson/ See also: http://www.politechbot.com/p-03093.html --Declan] >Culberson Letter Regarding the Trusted Traveler Program > >January 29, 2002 > >Support a Trusted Traveler Program in America > >Dear Colleague: > >Please join me in sending the following letter to Under Secretary for >Transportation Security John Magaw encouraging him to implement a trusted >traveler program in the United States: > >"We are writing to express our support for the immediate implementation of >a trusted traveler program authorized by the Aviation and Transportation >Security Act and modeled after the successful Israeli program. The >National Air Transportation Association is working with Lockheed Martin, >Microsoft, and other high tech companies to develop identification cards >with encoded biometric data (such as fingerprints) for certain >passengers. These plastic "smart cards" would allow law-abiding U.S. >citizens who travel frequently to become trusted travelers and be >subjected to less rigorous screening procedures than other >passengers. The program would allow airport security and law enforcement >personnel to focus their attention and resources on passengers who pose a >legitimate hijacking threat, and would help the Transportation Security >Administration achieve its stated goal of screening passengers and baggage >with no passenger delays greater than 10 minutes. > >Section 109(a)(3) of the recently enacted "Aviation and Transportation >Security Act" authorizes the Under Secretary of Transportation Security >to: establish requirements to implement trusted passenger programs and use >available technologies to expedite the security screening of passengers >who participate in such programs, thereby allowing security screening >personnel to focus on those passengers who should be subject to more >extensive screening. We encourage the Administration to establish these >requirements in a timely manner and to work closely with the National Air >Transportation Association to oversee the development of passenger >identification "smart cards." Finally, we would like to know what, if >any, specific plans the Administration has to implement a trusted traveler >program. > >Thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter, and we look >forward to your response." > >Please contact Tony Essalih of my staff at 5-2571 if you have any >questions or would like to co-sign this letter. The deadline for >signatures is Wednesday, February 6th. >Sincerely, > > > >John Culberson Member of Congress >Tony Essalih >Senior Legislative Assistant >Congressman John Culberson (TX-07) >(202) 225-2571 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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