House makes a business decision about air cargo inspections

WASHINGTON - The House refused on Friday to require inspections of all cargo shipped on passenger airline flights, heeding arguments that technology is not available and that losing the freight would drive carriers into bankruptcy.

With its 211-191 vote, the House ignored election year cries that the government must do what it takes to enhance security in an era of unabated terror threats. Currently, only a small percentage of cargo aboard passenger flights is inspected, and uninspected cargo is supposed to come only from shippers known to the government.

"If six planes are blown out of the sky a week from now or two weeks from now, are all of us going to go back to our districts and say, "We can't afford to do it?' " said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn. "I can't do that."

Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., cited estimates by the Transportation Security Administration that it would take $700-million and the hiring of 9,000 additional inspectors to examine cargo thoroughly on passenger flights at the nation's largest airports. He said forbidding airlines to carry uninspected freight would have financially catastrophic effects on an industry that already has several struggling companies.

The vote was on an amendment by Shays and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., to a measure providing $32-billion for next year for the Homeland Security Department.

The overall bill was approved by 400-5. It would provide more money than President Bush proposed to help state and local emergency responders, though less than he wanted for cities considered the likeliest terrorist targets.

Last year, the House easily approved a similar provision requiring inspections of cargo aboard passenger flights, but it was never approved by the Senate.

Lobbying against this year's effort were the airline, airport and air freight industries, congressional aides said. Also helping to sink the proposal were money in the bill for research, 100 new cargo inspectors and dogs for detecting explosives, along with a requirement that the percentage of air cargo inspected be doubled.

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