Our old friend Mark Hemingway complicates Sen. Chris Dodd’s morning:
Back in July, Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn., proposed an amendment reducing aviation security appropriations by $4.5 million in favor of firefighter grants — a notoriously inneffective program. In fact, the money was specifically “for screening operations and the amount for explosives detection systems.” The amendment was also sponsored by Sen. Lieberman, D-Conn., and Sen. Carper, D-Del., but Dodd deserves to be singled out here because the firefighters union is a pet constituency of his.
The amendment was agreed to by the full Senate. One caveat I would note: Are U.S. funds spent on aviation security in places like Amsterdam?
This 2004 report indicates that security surcharges are assessed on trips originating and going through Amsterdam . . .