President Bushs budget plan for fiscal year 2003 proposes to spend 8.8 billion dollars for transportation security, or roughly 15% of the Transportation Departments total 59.3 billion dollar budget. The plan calls for $4.8 billion dollars to be spent by the newly created Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the aviation section. The money is earmarked for passenger and baggage screening operations. John Mcgraw, a TSA Administrator, reported to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation that aviation needs remain a top priority in the wake of Sept. 11. Mcgraw says that of the $4.8 billion budgeted for airport security $2.2 billion will be raised by air carrier fees. A portion of the $4.8 billion appropriated for airport security will be used to hire and train an additional 30,000 airport security personnel, to buy and develop cargo screening mechanisms and to install explosive detection devices in airports by Dec. 31 as required by law. The $2.9 billion in maritime security will go to measures to increase security at US ports for waterborne freight by adding additional patrol vessels and the development of portable scanning equipment. It is still unclear what the remaining $1.1 billion dollars will be used for. Though, trucking is one industry that is guaranteed to see some funds. The Bush administration recognizes the need to prevent terrorist from entering the country at check points along the northern and southern borders. That is why the Bush proposal includes a hefty 8% increase for trucking safety. The new budget will allocate $371 million to the Federal Motor Safety Administration for the year, up from the $345 million last year and $272 million in its first year of operation. The money will be used to hire 214 additional inspectors to increase safety at ports of entry. In addition to the inspectors the Federal Highway Administration will be given $47million to build new inspection facilities...
