Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) chaired a hearing of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee today to discuss the fiscal year 2004 budget needs for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Senator Cochran questioned the witnesses about border inspection user fees and the expiration of the law authorizing collection of those fees; the reduction in the number of airport screeners and concerns that smaller airports, like the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, lost too many screeners; reimbursement to airports to defray the costs of using local law enforcement officers and for additional security measures; and the disparity of the level of professionalism and courtesy of airport screeners across the country. The Senator also asked about the authorization of the use of firearms by commercial pilots and whether training will continue at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center or be contracted out; the funding for training air cargo pilots and federal flight deck officers as authorized in the Air Cargo Security Act; and the streamlining of physical assets of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in order to use them more efficiently and to derive additional savings.

Witnesses included: Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Admiral James M. Loy, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security; and Connie Patrick, Director, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Department of Homeland Security.

Some of Senator Cochran's Q&A with the witnesses will be available after 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) on the Senator's voicemail news line and on the Senator's web site at www.senate.gov/~cochran . You may record these statements as needed for newscasts or news stories.

Cochran News Line: Call our toll-free number and follow these instructions to access the news line: 1-800-545-1267

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Beth Day, Press Secretary: (202) 224-6404