Airport security, loan forgiveness bills considered

Friday, July 15, 2005 | 9:48 a.m.

SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- The Senate has approved an amendment by John Ensign, R-Nev., that takes aim at the conveyor-belt bins used in airport security checkpoints.

Lines would move faster if passengers could just dump their shoes, cell phones, laptops and other belongings in a single, multi-compartment bin, Ensign said. McCarran Airport officials suggested to Ensign that fewer bins would save screeners time viewing scans of bins, and stacking them.

His amendment to a Homeland Security spending bill would direct the Transportation Security Administration to begin testing the new bins.

Another Ensign amendment to the bill would have added 1,000 security agents to the nation's borders, but the legislation was defeated Thursday. The amendment was a response to the 9/11 Commission Report which called for an increase of 2,000 agents each year for five years.

Nevada lawmakers touted several other pieces of legislation this week.

One bill would create a commission to review federal programs and agencies every 10 years and recommend to Congress which ones should be stopped. The other creates a separate commission that would recommend improvements in government programs that duplicate or overlap work.

Congress would have to approve whether to stop or consolidate a program.

Porter highlighted that there are 19 different federal programs on substance abuse and 27 on teen pregnancy. He said there is no question federal programs are needed, but they they might be more effective.

Current monthly payments to survivors, which extend for two years after the death, are frozen at $250. Berkley's legislation would allow for a cost-of-living increase, equal to increases in Social Security benefits. It's not yet known exactly how much of an monthly increase that would amount to, and a total cost figure for the legislation is not yet available, a Berkley aide said.