WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a full Committee hearing on aviation security and the recent attempted terrorist incident on Flight #253 to Detroit. The Senate Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over aviation security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

“Any terrorist attempt on our citizens is extremely serious and we must conduct an immediate and thorough review to determine what went wrong,” said Chairman Rockefeller. “This incident raises concerns not only about the effectiveness of our aviation security screening, especially internationally, but also about the degree to which we are connecting the dots and sharing information in the Intelligence Community. Our Committee will insist on getting answers to these tough challenges, and I urge that we also work together to confirm a leader for the Transportation Security Administration as quickly as possible. This is no time for partisan nominations games. Our enemies are deadly and sophisticated, and we must face them as one. The safety of our citizens is our most solemn responsibility.”

“This disturbing incident highlights the evolving nature of terrorist threats against our country,” said Senator Hutchison. “We must ensure that the federal security agencies entrusted with protecting us can adapt the detection and prevention measures we employ to stay ahead of these changing threats. It is clear that the current measures in place were inadequate to prevent this type of plot. The country was very fortunate that the device malfunctioned and that the crew and passengers of flight 253 acted heroically. It is clear that our nation must do better.”

Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid or service, including closed captioning service for webcast hearings, should contact Naomi Eskin at 202-224-5115 at least three business days in advance of the hearing date.