Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC
The head of U.S. Homeland Security says she’ll look into the experience faced by state Representative Sharon Cissna last week in a Seattle Airport. Cissna is a breast cancer survivor, and TSA agents wanted to give her a pat-down after a body scan picked up scars from her mastectomy. When Cissna refused she wasn’t allowed to fly.
Wednesday, Senator Lisa Murkowski got a chance to press Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on the issue.
Both Murkowski and Senator Mark Begich are pressuring the TSA to change their policies. Murkowski told Napolitano that she sent a letter to the head of TSA, and has not yet heard back.
Murkowski said for Alaskans, not flying is a difficult decision. For Representative Cissna it meant a long, multi-day journey back to Juneau from Seattle on a ferry.
Secretary Napolitano pledged to look into Cissna’s experience.
Secretary Napolitano says overall, most fliers have had no complaints about the new body scanners and pat-down procedures.
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