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Klobuchar Says Innocent Travelers Should Not Be Stuck on Terrorist Watch List

August 5, 2008

Minneapolis, M.N. – Every day, thousands of American travelers experience delays and other inconveniences because their names are mistakenly flagged by U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Terrorist Screening Database (commonly known as the terrorist watch list). 

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar held a news conference today to announce federal legislation that she is introducing, along with Senator John Thune (R-SD), to require the Department of Homeland Security to establish a “one-stop shop” to make it quicker and easier for innocent Americans to get their names cleared from the terrorist watch list.

At the news conference, Klobuchar was joined by several Minnesotans who have been delayed or stopped from boarding planes because they were mistakenly flagged on the terrorist watch list.  They included Dr. James Smith, a physician from Bloomington; Jim Miller, a commercial real estate broker from Saint Paul; and Jack Anderson, a seven-year-old boy from Minneapolis.

“There are really two issues here,” said Klobuchar.  “First, there’s an issue of fairness for innocent Americans who find themselves misidentified as possible terrorists.  Second, there’s an issue of government competence.  A watch list that’s riddled with mistakes and inaccuracies isn’t going to be an effective weapon in the fight against terrorism.”

The watch list is administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a department within Homeland Security.  The list is meant to provide federal agencies and airlines with a synchronized list of possible terrorist threats.  Airlines operating in the U.S. are required to check each passenger’s name against the watch list prior to issuing a boarding pass.  When their name is flagged, the passenger must undergo additional security screening.


The TSA’s current process for correcting misidentifications on the watch list has been criticized as ineffective and wrapped in bureaucratic red tape.

“It’s important for our government to have a watch list to find and capture suspected terrorists.  But the watch list must be more up to date, more focused and more accurate if it’s going to be effective.  When so many innocent Americans are being misidentified as possible terrorists, the government needs to do a better job,” said Klobuchar.

Along with Senator John Thune, Klobuchar has introduced the Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely Redress Act of 2008 (or FAST-Redress).

Specifically, the legislation would require Homeland Security to establish a timely and fair redress process for individuals who believe they have been wrongly identified as a threat on the terrorist watch list.

It would establish an independent office in Homeland Security to maintain a Comprehensive Cleared List of individuals who’ve been misidentified and should not be on the watch list..

It would also require Homeland Security to furnish this Comprehensive Cleared List to all agencies that use the terrorist watch list.

The legislation has been endorsed by the National Business Travel Association.  In addition to Klobuchar and Thune, other Senators already cosponsoring the legislation include  Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and George Voinovich (R-OH).

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