An affable U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, aired frustrations with the Transportation Security Administration while updating locals on legislation regarding the federal agency and its impact on local air service Saturday morning during a stop through Klamath Falls.
The congressman packed a plethora of issues into roughly an hour-long town hall hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Pelican Post 1383, but mainly fielded questions and concerns regarding education, water, veterans and screening services by the TSA.
“A week or so ago, the House Homeland Security Committee passed unanimously our legislation to require the TSA to provide security services at airports like the one here in Klamath Falls,” Walden told a crowd of about 60 people.
“The majority leader of the House has scheduled that bill to come to the House floor, either April 13 or 14, so we'll get a vote on it, it came out of committee unanimously … it'll probably go by voice vote in the House if everything goes according to plan.”
Walden emphasized various safety concerns with TSA's approach to offering screening only at major airports, which would require customers from Klamath Falls to be screened at the Portland International Airport.
PenAir has remained committed to offering air service from Klamath Falls to Portland but would need TSA screening services to get off the ground. Reverse screening doesn't cut it for Walden and many in attendance at the town hall agreed.
“The notion that you're going to load up a 30-seat aircraft with people and luggage, send it to Portland and then inspect it when it gets there defies all common sense and logic,” Walden told a crowd.
“Talk about an open invitation for disaster, because if you're one of the bad guys trying to blow things up, where would you board?” he added.
“If you think about what we're trying to accomplish to provide security and restore air service, I don't know how TSA could argue against it.”
The topic of conversation also delved into public lands legislation, water and veteran's issues, but repeatedly returned to TSA during question and answer session.
Walden said the concept of reverse screening being considered by TSA for rural airports such as in Klamath Falls is modeled after a similar service in remote Alaskan communities.
“Alaska is a little different kind of place and it's a long way from anywhere else,” Walden said.
“You can't apply what works there to a place like this.”
The congressman emphasized that Klamath County isn't the only area affected by the federal agency's refusal to offer services.
“We're not being singled out,” Walden said.
“I've found allies — Republican and Democrat — literally from Kansas to the border of Texas to different places around the country who are facing the same thing.”
He assured the public that legislation in the House and Senate at the federal level is likely to pass.
“We've got some high level of confidence that we'll get this passed,” Walden said.
Walden chatted with residents and took time for photographs before continuing on in his tour of his district in Lakeview, Pendleton and Enterprise on Saturday. He plans to speak in Jordan Valley today.
