Ridge: 'Modest' decline in federal air marshals
From Mike M. Ahlers
CNN Washington Bureau
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A U.S. air marshal reacts during a simulated hijack attempt
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The number of federal air marshals declined modestly during the current fiscal year, and will decline further next year under the president's proposed budget, administration officials acknowledged Thursday.
The exact number of marshals -- armed, plainclothes officers tasked with protecting civilian airliners -- is classified.
In repeated public pronouncements during the past six months, the administration has said it is bolstering aviation security by enabling other federal law enforcement officers to serve as air marshals when they are on commercial flights.
But in testimony Thursday on Capitol Hill, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge acknowledged there has been a "modest decrease" in the number of federal air marshals.
"We went from a handful [of federal air marshals in fiscal year] '01 to literally thousands in '04 and there's been a modest reduction and I think we can manage that reduction through '05," Ridge told members of a House appropriations subcommittee.
An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the number of marshals eliminated during the current fiscal year is "in the neighborhood" of 100. He said he was uncertain how many would be eliminated under the proposed budget.
Another official said the decrease was achieved through attrition.
Rep. Martin Sabo, D-Minnesota, speaking to Ridge at Thursday's hearing, said, "I must say that in my judgment it's more than a modest decrease."
Ridge said the additional security provided by Secret Service agents and others who now can provide protection while flying is "far, far in excess of anything we could ever do with regard to federal air marshals."
"We literally have thousands of other federal law enforcement personnel we are going to connect with, identify the flights they are on" and allow them to serve as air marshals while on their flights.
Ridge said the cuts are a budgetary necessity, "There was X number of dollars, so we have to set priorities and we had to move people and money around."
In July of last year, a news report that the Department of Homeland Security was going to cut the number of federal air marshals was met with hostility on Capitol Hill. DHS officials responded at the time that there were no plans to cut air marshals.
