COLORADO DELEGATION JOINS TO IMPROVE SECURITY AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

WASHINGTON, DC – TheColorado Congressional Delegation joined U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)today in sending a letter to the Administrator of the TransportationSecurity Administration (TSA), Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley, pressing theAdministration to take immediate steps improving the security situationat Denver International Airport (DIA). The letter, signed by allmembers of the Delegation, outlined the long security wait times andscreening processes at DIA, highlighted the benefit to increasing thenumber of screeners, and identified the risks associated with thecontinued delay of security screening.

The ColoradoDelegation writes: "From our perspective, which is shared by DIA, theairlines serving Denver, and our constituents, this situation isunacceptable. Passengers risk missing flights, and airlines sufferincreased costs when holding flights to permit the boarding ofpassengers who checked in on time but were delayed going throughsecurity screening. Denver airport officials are justifiably concernedthat the passenger screening delays will cause vacation travelers tochoose another destination where they do not have to experience thesedelays. This is particularly important to our state as we approachColorado's busy holiday and ski season.

"…. We appreciatethat TSA bolstered staffing for the long weekend when the World Serieswas held in Denver, and understand that TSA now has under considerationa request for 58 additional screeners. We urge TSA promptly to approvethis request, and to take whatever additional steps as necessary toreduce passenger wait times to 10 minutes as originally promised whenTSA took over passenger screening," the Delegation continues.

Below and linked here is a copy of the Colorado Delegation letter to TSA:

October 31, 2007

Honorable Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley

Administrator

Transportation Security Administration

Department of Homeland Security

601 South 12th Street, East Building

Arlington, Virginia 22202-4220

Dear Administrator Hawley:

As members of the Colorado congressional delegation, we have personallywitnessed the protracted passenger wait times at Denver InternationalAirport (DIA). In recent weeks, the peak period wait times have beenthe worst in the country, by TSA's own accounting, with averages over25 minutes and passengers facing routine waits of 35-55 minutes.

As you may know, DIA's origin and destination (O&D) passengertraffic was up 7% in the first six months of 2007, and traffic levelsare expected to continue to rise. DIA is now the fourth busiestairport and one of the fastest growing large hub airports in the UnitedStates. Yet, we have been informed that the TSA's Screening AllocationModel (SAM) provides for only one additional Fulltime Equivalent (FTE)screener for Fiscal Year 2008.

From our perspective, whichis shared by DIA, the airlines serving Denver, and our constituents,this situation is unacceptable. Passengers risk missing flights, andairlines suffer increased costs when holding flights to permit theboarding of passengers who checked in on time but were delayed goingthrough security screening. Denver airport officials are justifiablyconcerned that the passenger screening delays will cause vacationtravelers to choose another destination where they do not have toexperience these delays. This is particularly important to our state aswe approach Colorado's busy holiday and ski season.

Weunderstand that DIA airport officials have been working to assist TSAin reducing identified inefficiencies in the screening process, andthat Denver is now spending over one million dollars annually inpersonnel and technology to support the TSA screening process. However,with TSA's recent assumption of document checking responsibilities,delays were predictable as TSA screeners gained experience with thisnew task. Moreover, it appears that TSA has made no accommodation forthe expansion of TSA responsibilities at airport security checkpoints,thereby guaranteeing longer processing times. On our recent travels toand from Colorado, we continue to see security lanes unstaffed duringpeak periods. We have been advised that TSA has suggested that DIA addadditional lanes, which DIA is willing to do, provided that TSA commitsto staff the new lanes adequately. We share DIA's concern over whetherthe TSA will fully staff the new lanes if they are added.

Weappreciate that TSA bolstered staffing for the long weekend when theWorld Series was held in Denver, and understand that TSA now has underconsideration a request for 58 additional screeners. We urge TSApromptly to approve this request, and to take whatever additional stepsas necessary to reduce passenger wait times to 10 minutes as originallypromised when TSA took over passenger screening.

Pleaselet us know as soon as possible what steps the TSA has taken and willtake immediately to improve the situation at Denver InternationalAirport.

Sincerely,

Wayne Allard, U.S. Senator

Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator

Diana DeGette, Member of Congress

Mark Udall, Member of Congress

John Salazar. Member of Congress

Marilyn Musgrave, Member of Congress

Doug Lamborn, Member of Congress

Tom Tancredo, Member of Congress

Ed Perlmutter, Member of Congress