Swalwell Passes Amendment to Strengthen Air Security

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) today successfully passed an amendment in the Committee on Homeland Security to strengthen air travel security by providing incentives for countries to report data on lost and stolen travel documents. Swalwell's amendment to H.R. 3846, a bill regarding U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), would require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to certify that countries participating in CBP's trusted traveler program routinely provide information on lost and stolen travel documents to the U.S. government or INTERPOL, the world's largest police organization, for inclusion in its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.

"The fact that two passengers flew on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with stolen passports illustrates the need to bolster security on international air travel," said Swalwell. "We know there is a security gap here, with too many countries failing to report information on lost or stolen travel documents to INTERPOL. I'm pleased the Homeland Security Committee took a step today toward addressing this vulnerability by creating an incentive for countries to report this data to INTERPOL or our government."

"However, more needs to be done. Beyond the United States, few countries regularly screen air travelers against the INTERPOL SLTD database. In fact, the failure to screen happens for over one billion passenger trips every year. This just makes it easier for terrorists and criminals to board airplanes and travel the world, putting security at risk. I will continue to work on this issue to find a way to encourage nations to check air travelers against the SLTD database so we catch people seeking to do harm before it's too late," concluded Swalwell.