Agency wants $4B more for airport screeners

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is appealing for more money for his agency. A supplemental appropriations bill that contains $4.4 billion for the TSA for fiscal 2002 is awaiting Congressional action.

John Magaw said his agency needs the money to keep operating. President Bush also urged Congressional action in his press conference on Monday.

The TSA is in the process of hiring thousands of federal passenger and baggage screeners. It must have the federal screeners in place by November 19 and must screen all passenger checked baggage by December 31.

The $4.4 billion is in addition to the $2.4 billion the agency has already received for its fiscal year 2002 budget.

Magaw vowed the TSA will meet the deadlines imposed by Congress.

The agency's undercover agents recently tested current private screeners at airports around the country to see how many fake weapons, guns and bombs it would get past the screeners. The private screeners reportedly missed one out of every four fake weapons.

Magaw cautioned the report's conclusions would draw attention to airport weaknesses -- which could be exploited by terrorists -- but said the TSA wanted to know what is getting through screening so it can fix the problem.

The TSA has called the results unacceptable and has said airports and screeners that performed poorly will be retrained and disciplined if necessary.

As for the shootings at the Los Angeles International Airport on July 4, Magaw said the TSA will not be stationing federal forces at ticket counters or put them throughout airports.

Instead, he said: "We do expect to have a few of our law enforcement personnel assisting the state and locals in observation, in maybe some interviews of people that don't appear to be acting correctly, those kinds of things, but its going to be a team effort. It is not a case, though, where we are going to put a federal force at these ticket counters."

On guns in the cockpit, Magaw said he remains opposed to allowing pilots to have firearms in the cockpit. But he said he is close to making a decision on whether or not to give pilots less than lethal weapons such as Tasers.

The House is expected to take up a bill on guns in the cockpit on Wednesday. It allows up to 1,400 pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit over a two year period as part of a test program.

At the end of two years, the TSA would have to issue a report to Congress and the TSA would decide whether to continue the program.