Ensign demands more TSA screeners

Tuesday, May 18, 2004 | 11 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., calling a roughly 5 percent increase in baggage screeners for McCarran International Airport "completely unacceptable," today said he would block approval of the top Transportation Safety Administration official until more screeners are approved.

Ensign, who serves on the Senate Commerce Committee, said through a spokesman this morning that he would delay a vote on the nomination of retired Rear Adm. David Stone to lead the agency until more safety personnel are approved for McCarran International Airport. Jack Finn, a spokesman for the senator, said the delay will last "as long as it takes."

The TSA plans to add 35 screeners to McCarran as part of a shift of personnel that takes employees from some airports and assigns them to busier ones. The TSA has a nationwide limit of 45,000 screeners.

McCarran, which will have a total of 777 screeners after the increase, is almost 200 screeners behind Phoenix Sky Harbor, which is not as busy, Finn said. Meanwhile the nation's busiest airport, Chicago O'Hare, lost four screeners and will employ a total of 1,577 screeners. Houston International Airport remained unchanged, with 868 screeners.

McCarran International Airport officials said in April that the airport would need 300 extra screeners to staff seven more security checkpoints at the C and D gates scheduled to open this summer.

Jim Blair, TSA security director at McCarran, said at the time that if McCarran did not get the new screeners, he hoped to juggle staff to open as many of the new gates as possible during peak travel times. Blair was not available for comment this morning.

Clark County Deputy Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis said in April that the airport had secured a commitment from the TSA that the screeners could be added before starting on a $10 million expansion project that will add 10 gates to the airport in addition to the extra checkpoints.

"They will be ready for operation," Vassiliadis said this morning. "If you're asking if 35 positions is enough for the new checkpoints the answer is clearly no.

"We're just not going to settle for this number."

Before Stone's appointment can be confirmed, it must first go through the Senate Commerce Committee, Finn said. The delay will last indefinitely, Finn said.

"He (Ensign) finds them (the proposed increase in screeners) completely unacceptable," Finn said. "With the number of passengers McCarran handles it needs to be recognized (that the airport needs more screeners)."

"He will block the vote, as is his right," Finn said. "How can airports such as Orlando (International Airport) get more (screeners)?"

Other members of the congressional delegation also decried the move, saying it would leave the airport unable to deal with an increase in traffic that has made it among the busiest in the country.

Adam Mayberry, press secretary for Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said Porter is very concerned about the security staffing levels at McCarran and will be meeting with TSA officials to express his concerns.

"It's important that the airport has the staffing levels to meet the needs of its passengers," Mayberry said.

If TSA does not meet the airport's security needs, the administration could hamper McCarran's growth, Mayberry said.

"McCarran will experience substantial delays if they don't have adequate security in place, and increased delays will result in passengers who may not be return," Mayberry said. "So it's imperative that TSA meets the security levels needed at McCarran."