Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, released the following statements after the introduction of their bill, the TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act, which would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to streamline the application and renewal process for transportation workers applying for multiple credentials and establish a reduced fee structure for applicants.
 
“Many transportation workers across the country are required by law to hold multiple TSA credentials, yet the application and renewal process for the credentials is not streamlined. I have heard from workers in my district who end up spending a significant amount of time and money to keep their credentials up to date – this process clearly needs to be fixed,” said Rep. Adam Smith. “The bipartisan legislation introduced today will require TSA to make it easier and less costly for workers to maintain their credentials, taking some of the burden off our transportation workers who are critical to keeping our economy running. I appreciate Ranking Member Katko for working with me on this commonsense bill.”
 
“I’m proud to join Chairman Smith in introducing this important legislation. Our bill streamlines the process for transportation workers to apply for and enroll in multiple credentials from TSA. We need to remove unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that burden our transportation workers from doing their important jobs. Our transportation sector is imperative to our economic recovery from the pandemic, and this legislation eliminates redundant and costly requirements,” said Rep. John Katko.
 
Certain transportation workers across the country are required by law to hold multiple Transportation Security Administration (TSA) credentials, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), the Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME), and TSA PreCheck. The TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act will require TSA to create a streamlined application and renewal process for workers applying for more than one of these credentials. It will also require TSA to establish a reduced fee structure for workers who are applying for or renewing multiple credentials.
 
Importantly, this legislation does not make any modifications to the back-end security assessment conducted on individual applicants, ensuring that applicants must undergo the same level of review as they do under current law. This bill simply modernizes the consumer-facing applicant process to reduce the burden on American transportation workers who must maintain more than one TSA credential.
 
The TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act is endorsed by several organizations representing transportation workers and industry including: Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, American Trucking Association, Washington Trucking Associations, American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association, Association of American Railroads, Border Trade Alliance, California Trucking Association, International Longshore & Warehouse Union: ILWU Local 19, National Energy and Fuels Institute, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), and National Tank Truck Carriers.
 
A fact sheet about the bill can be found here.
The full text of the bill can be found here.
 
See below for statements of support for the TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act.
 
Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
 
"Our coalition of transportation labor unions applauds this important legislative effort to reduce the amount of time and money that transportation workers dole out to maintain multiple TSA security credentials as a requirement of their frontline jobs. Best of all, we can streamline this administrative process for workers without making any modifications to each individual security assessment. We commend Representatives Adam Smith and John Katko for their continued commitment to national security and America's transportation workers."
 
The Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, is a coalition of 33 member unions that provides a bold voice for workers in every mode of transportation – both in the private and public sector – and is devoted to protecting middle-class jobs, expanding collective bargaining, and ensuring modern, safe, and secure transportation operations and infrastructure.
 
Edwin Gilroy, Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs, The American Trucking Association
 
“On behalf of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the 7.9 million men and women employed by the trucking industry in every state and congressional district across the nation, I write to express our strong support for the Transportation Security Administration Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act. This critical legislation will standardize and streamline the enrollment process for individuals applying for multiple Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Threat Assessment (STA) programs, relieving truck drivers of duplicative fees and redundant background checks, and empowering them to meet the needs of supply chains moving hazardous materials and operating in secure facilities.”
 
American Trucking Associations is the largest and most comprehensive national trade association for the trucking industry.
 
Sheri Call, President and CEO, Washington Trucking Associations
 
“On behalf of the Washington Trucking Associations (WTA) and the 150,000 men and women employed by the trucking industry in Washington State, I write to express our strong support for the Transportation Security Administration Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act. This critical legislation will standardize and streamline the enrollment process for individuals applying for multiple Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Threat Assessment (STA) programs, relieving truck drivers of duplicative fees and redundant background checks, and empowering them to meet the needs of supply chains moving hazardous materials and operating in secure facilities.”
 
The Washington Trucking Associations (WTA) is the Washington trucking industry's information center and spokesperson; providing services tailored to its trucking industry members and keeping them informed.
 
Chuck Baker, President, American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association
 
“For some short line freight railroad workers, obtaining security credentials through TSA is a critical but often costly and time-consuming ordeal. We congratulate Reps. Smith and Katko for their leadership in advancing this smart, bipartisan bill to lessen unnecessary burdens and streamline the application process. We urge its swift consideration, as we’re confident the bill’s passage will help short line rail employees have more time to focus on our key mission: serving our customers and ensuring the speed and efficiency of our country’s supply chain.”
 
Founded in 1913, ASLRRA proudly represents the entrepreneurial owners and operators of short line and regional railroads throughout North America.
 
Ian N. Jefferies, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads
 
“The Association of American Railroads write in support of enactment of the TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act. As the trade association representing all seven Class I railroads, Amtrak, and numerous shortline and commuter railroads, we applaud the bill’s common-sense solutions to streamline the enrollment process for individuals applying for multiple Transportation Security Administration Security Threat Assessment programs.”
 
Founded in 1934, AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research, standard setting, and technology organization that focuses on the safety and productivity of the U.S. freight rail industry. AAR Full members include the major freight railroads in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak.
 
Britton Mullen, President, The Border Trade Alliance
 
“We believe your legislation will standardize and streamline the enrollment process for individuals applying for multiple Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Threat Assessment (STA) programs and relieve truck drivers of duplicative fees and redundant background checks, an important step in modernizing the hazardous materials supply chain.”
 
The Border Trade Alliance (BTA) is North America’s premier authority on key issues affecting trade, travel, and security on the U.S. northern and southern borders, representing a large grassroots network of over 4.2 million public and private sector representatives.
 
Ryan L. Streblow, President and CEO, National Tank Truck Carriers
 
“The American supply chain crisis is now a prominent topic of national conversation, and NTTC firmly believes that this legislation is one crucial step needed to resolve logistics inefficiencies by streamlining background checks needed by certain truck drivers.”
 
National Tank Truck Carriers (NTCC) is committed to improving the tank truck industry’s safety through advocacy and education. NTTC has represented the interests of the tank truck industry since its founding in 1945 in Washington DC.
 
###
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Adam Smith and Pramila Jayapal, and Senators Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell sent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan a letter regarding the cleanup of the East Waterway at the mouth of the Duwamish River in Washington State. The members voiced their support of the EPA’s decision to pause the release of its Proposed Plan for cleanup and strongly urged additional community engagement measures to address the harmful pollutants and contamination that have severe impacts on human and environmental health.
 
“The completion of a Proposed Plan, and ultimately the issuance of a Record of Decision, is an important step towards cleanup of the East Waterway. We strongly urge the EPA to set cleanup standards to the highest and most protective standards feasible. The Proposed Plan must also be developed with extensive community engagement, especially with frontline impacted communities,” the members wrote. “Further, we urge the EPA to include community input in the final Proposed Plan as those on the frontlines living in this area have a wealth of knowledge about what needs to be done. The community has expressed strong interest in working with you on the plan and we are available to facilitate those conversations if needed.”
                                                       
A century of industrial and commercial activity surrounding the East Waterway has led to high levels of pollutants in the waterway, which has serious implications for the health of the ecosystems and communities in the surrounding area. The predominately low-income communities of color that live around the Duwamish River have been disproportionately burdened by the higher health risks that come along with this contamination. In the letter, the members urged the EPA to approach the cleanup as a matter of environmental justice and equity to adequately address the disparate impacts that this community faces.
 
Community members throughout the Duwamish River face a multitude of environmental and public health challenges, including some of the worst air quality in the Seattle region, disproportionate health impacts, and shorter lifespans than surrounding areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges.” The members concluded the letter, “We applaud your focus on environmental justice and equity. We stand ready to work with you to ensure these principles are applied as cleanup plans are developed and advanced for the East Waterway.”

A full copy of the letter can be found here.
 
###
SEATTLE, WA – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement in response to the hostage situation that took place at a synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas on Saturday. 
 
“Nearly 12 hours after a gunman entered Congregation Beth Israel and took four people hostage during their morning service, the hostages were safely rescued and returned to their families. I extend my thoughts and support to the individuals who had to endure that traumatic experience in their place of worship. I would also like to thank the incredible state, local, and federal law enforcement agents – including the FBI negotiators – who resolved the situation and likely saved the lives of the individuals taken hostage yesterday.
 
“Yesterday’s hostage situation is an unfortunate reminder of the antisemitism that persists in the United States and around the world, and the risk of attack that synagogues face. These attacks must be forcefully condemned as the targeted acts of hatred and violence that they are. In the face of this hatred, we must come together and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Texas and across the country.”
 
###
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Katie Porter (D-Calif.), and Cori Bush (D-Mo.) led 48 members of the House in urging the leadership of the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations to set aside robust federal funding for the creation and expansion of alternative crisis response teams to address mental health and substance abuse issues.

“Encouraging the use of behavioral health professionals to respond to mental health crisis situations improves the quality of crisis response and strengthens public safety by providing long term solutions to mental health and substance abuse issues,” the members wrote. “We have already seen significant progress that bolsters public safety in cities that have piloted unarmed responder units.” The members continued, “These initiatives have a demonstrated track record of not only providing more appropriate care to meet the needs of communities, but also reducing unnecessary interactions between police and community members.  The overwhelming majority of 911 calls involve mental health and substance use incidents, neighbor disputes, nuisance complaints, and requests for wellness checks that require appropriately trained, unarmed behavioral health professionals. Both the police and policing reform advocates often assert that specialized service providers—such as social workers, paramedics, and peer support counselors—are better equipped to handle such situations than armed officers.
 
Establishing crisis response teams requires significant funding to cover the costs of training, retaining, and equipping these teams. State and local governments need federal assistance to help cover these costs. Federal funding will help to ensure that these programs are able to get off the ground and make a positive impact on the health and safety of communities across the country.
 
The members urged their colleagues on the Committee on Appropriations to include substantial funding more in line with the House-passed level of funding of $100 million for crisis response teams in the final conference agreement they are preparing.
 
The members concluded the letter, “At a time when many people in our communities are facing mental health, economic, and personal difficulties, it is critical that we make investments in public safety programs that center mental health care and work to resolve the underlying conditions of so many emergency calls—homelessness, substance abuse, and other chronic health issues. Existing 911 response limited to police, fire, or EMT services have been overwhelmed and simply do not meet the needs of the communities they serve. A focus on a wholistic public safety approach centered on the needs of communities is long overdue.
 
A full copy of the letter can be found here.
 
The letter was signed by Representatives Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.),  Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), Anthony G. Brown, (D-Md.), Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.), Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-Ill.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-Hawaii), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Andy Levin (D-Mich.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (D-Guam), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.).
 
###
SEATTLE, WA – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the Insurrection of the U.S. Capitol during Congress’ proceedings to certify the 2020 general election results on January 6, 2021.
 
“One year ago, pro-Trump extremists attacked the United States Capitol, a criminal act that threatened to end our democracy as we know it. Today we once again mourn those Capitol police officers who lost their lives because of this attack. Thanks to the bravery of these officers, and all the members of the Capitol police who put their lives on the line to protect the Capitol, Congress faithfully performed our constitutional obligation to certify the election result and as a result our democracy lives on.
 
“One year later, more than 700 individuals who participated in the attack have been arrested and charged for their crimes. While former President Trump and his enablers are directly responsible for inciting and encouraging the attack on our Capitol, it is important that those who carried out the attack are held responsible. I strongly support the ongoing efforts to prosecute more of these individuals for their crimes.
 
“While the courts continue to hold these individuals directly accountable, the Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack on the United States Capitol continues their ongoing work to hold Trump and others who helped enable the attack accountable. This is incredibly important work in the broader efforts to protect the United States from those who do not believe in democracy and only care about power. Sadly, many of my Republican colleagues continue to lie about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, and across the country Republican-controlled state legislatures continue to pass laws that gut voting rights. Together, these actions by Republicans pose a significant threat to the health and stability of our democracy.
 
“As we reflect on the events of January 6, 2021, Democrats in Congress must recommit to taking action to strengthen our democracy and make sure an event like the insurrection never occurs again. That means, first and foremost, passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Protecting the right to vote and the integrity of our elections is of the utmost importance. If passing these bills requires filibuster reform in the Senate, then the time for reform is now. There is simply too much at stake to risk inaction.” 
 
###