Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. (35th CD), issued the following news release:

Concerned about the methods used to screen airline cargo at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the nation's other airports as well as the fact that much cargo carried on passenger flights remains unscreened, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-35) is calling on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to inform Congress about current cargo screening practices. She is also requesting that TSA - the agency created to protect the nation's transportation system after 9/11 - provide a progress report on meeting its mandate to screen 100 percent of air cargo by August of 2010.

Congresswoman Waters today submitted two amendments to the Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 2892): the LAX Cargo Screening Reporting Amendment and the Cargo Screening Reporting Amendment.

"LAX is located in my Congressional district. It serves my constituents as well as millions of other Americans and travelers from all over the world and is also a major hub for cargo shipments. The safety of LAX, its passengers and employees is of vital importance to the communities I represent, to California's economy and to national security. I want to make sure that we are doing everything possible to safeguard the airport and our country, and this includes thoroughly screening all cargo transported on passenger flights arriving at or leaving from LAX," said Congresswoman Waters.

According to the airport's web site, LAX is the 6th busiest airport in the world for passengers and ranks 13th in the world in air cargo handled. In 2008, airlines at LAX served 59.8 million passengers and handled 1.8 million tons of cargo.

"I don't want to unduly alarm the public about the safety of traveling through LAX or any other airport, but neither should we have a false sense of security," said Congresswoman Waters. "The fact of the matter is that today, almost eight years after the tragedy of 9/11, much airline cargo is loaded onto passenger flights without having been screened for explosives."

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the TSA was created by Congress and required to provide for the screening of all passengers and property transported on passenger aircraft in the United States. This includes cargo, U.S. mail, checked baggage, and carry-on baggage. However, currently, much cargo is still loaded on passenger airplanes without being screened for explosives. Although TSA directly screens all air passengers and their baggage before they board commercial aircraft, cargo screening continues to be the responsibility of individual airlines, and much of the cargo carried in "the belly of the plane" is not screened at all.