Both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday questioned a request for technologically advanced airport scanners in President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget request, but for seemingly opposite reasons.

The request for more scanners, and personnel to operate them, was largely a response to the latest terrorism threat, the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253, Chairman Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., said. But he wanted to know what the department was doing for future threats, given that many of the department's activities to address other vulnerabilities -- from cybersecurity and bioterrorism to port and transit security -- would receive about level funding.

Meanwhile, ranking Republican George V. Voinovich, of Ohio, asked if current airport security measures are enough.

Why buy and staff all the machines, Voinovich asked, "just because the Christmas Day bomber boarded a plane in Amsterdam?"

The sole witness at the hearing, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, differed with both senators' characterizations of the screening issue.

In fact, the request for the new scanners is not a rushed response to Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab's alleged attempt at bombing the Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight, she said. Efforts to boost scanning technology had been in the works prior to the incident.