Washington, D.C.-  Forty-eight hours before sharp scissors and tools are slated to return to passenger planes, Representative Edward Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and co-sponsor of H.R. 4452, the “Leave All Blades Behind Act”, Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY), families of the 9/11 victims and the Association of Flight Attendants are calling for a halt to the misguided rule that will allow sharp objects to return to passenger planes.  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administration plans to lift the ban on scissor blades and other sharp tools, put in place after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, effective December 22, 2005.  The “Leave All Blades Behind Act” introduced by Reps. Markey and Crowley would prevent TSA from taking these items off its prohibited list. 

“Travelers heading off to airports across the country will be disturbed to know that the Bush Administration is now making it easier for the next Mohammed Atta to terrorize passengers at 30,000 feet by allowing sharp objects back on planes,” said Rep. Markey. “This Administration is satisfied with half-efforts to protect the safety of our passenger planes.  The Bush Administration is taking a gamble by screening only half of the contents of the cargo bay and banning only half of the sharp deadly objects traveling on passenger planes.  Meanwhile, the terrorists are spending 100% of their time looking for loopholes to exploit.  This Administration’s risky policy is a gift to terrorists this holiday season.”

“The change to the prohibited items list will effectively loosen the restrictions on the same items that led to the worst terrorist attacks in history.  I lost my cousin, a former FDNY Chief on 9-11 and the fact is that we are no safer today than we were 4 years ago,” said Rep. Crowley. “Flight attendants and airline passengers put themselves at risk everyday.  There are more effective ways of increasing efficiency without compromising security.”

“As the holiday season approaches, we need to take a step forward in aviation security not a step backward,” said Carie Lemack, who lost her mom in the 9/11 attacks.

The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, air marshals and families of 9/11 victims support efforts to keep the current ban in place.  The AFA is launching a website www.leaveallbladesbehind.com and organizing a national petition to give a voice to all Americans who are concerned about their security and safety.

"The prohibited items list is an integral layer in making our aviation system secure and it must remain in place," said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President.  "As the front line safety and security personnel onboard every commercial passenger aircraft in this country, we believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the lives of all flight attendants and the passengers we work so hard to keep safe and secure.  We have heard from numerous passengers over the last few months who are outraged by TSA's decision. We encourage everyone to make their voice heard and sign this petition.  TSA must not be allowed to put the lives of flight attendants and passengers at risk."

While the TSA has said that it intends to shift resources from searching for such objects as scissors to searching instead for explosives, the agency and the Bush Administration continue to oppose one of the biggest passenger airplane security loopholes identified by the 9/11 Commission– commercial cargo placed in the cargo hold of passenger planes. Unlike passengers and their baggage, virtually none of this commercial cargo is physically inspected by anyone, creating a backdoor for explosives that terrorists can exploit.