SAN ANTONIO – As the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump begins, there is a sense of bipartisanship at the San Antonio International Airport.
Texas congressmen from both sides of the aisle are coming together in the name of safety.
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Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales led a congressional letter with Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro and Republican Congressman Chip Roy, requesting passenger screening canine teams.
“I believe in preparing before the storm happens. And security is important. San Antonio is a large city and we have to make sure that we’re secure against not only today, but the next security incidents,” Congressman Gonzales of District 23 said. “Look, any time you can add dogs to the equation, I think is a win, right? So we’re excited. We’re excited to do that.”
The three congressmen are coming together for one main purpose: safety.
“To work with other people, you know, to work with Joaquin Castro’s office and work with Chip Roy’s office and our office. I mean, those are three very different offices. But for us to come together and go, hey, dogs is our way forward. It’s how we get we get this in a bipartisan fashion, which I think is key. And we do this and we build upon it,” Gonzales said.
Right now the San Antonio International Airport is the only category one airport in Texas without passenger screening canine teams.
The Transportation Security Administration states that canine teams are a highly mobile and extremely efficient explosives detection tool to deter, detect and respond to threats throughout the nation’s transportation environments.
“The dogs add to our already existing safety and security measures that we have at the airport. Prior to the pandemic, we dealt with 10 million plus passengers consecutively for three or four years. So we’re equipped to handle the lines that we have at the airport. If we get the dogs here at the airport, obviously it would be effective,” Tonya Hope with the San Antonio International Airport said.
The letter advocating for the increased security could be a good foundation going forward.
“I’m excited. I mean, the country is in good hands, and, yes, we have a very bright future ahead of us,” Congressman Gonzales said. “San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and to help facilitate this growth, we need an airport that is efficient and safe for travelers. The addition of TSA screening dogs would allow for a safer experience in our airports and provides an additional level of security that our airport currently lacks.”
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