JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Here in Washington, there are basic questions being asked about the level of security at U.S. airports. The issue came up on Capitol Hill Thursday. CNN's Carl Rochelle joins us with details.</s>CARL ROCHELLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, the worst problem apparently is on the front lines, where screeners clear passengers and their baggage. Government watchdog agencies say pay and benefits are so low that airports are often left with inexperienced people at key checkpoints.</s>CATHAL FLYNN, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: I think it's obvious that we have to keep people on the job longer. At 400 percent turnover, it's difficult to train people to sharpen pencils. It requires considerable more to get all that can be got from the technologies that we're now deploying.</s>ROCHELLE: The FAA is trying to upgrade standards for screeners, but it's the airlines that pay for security services. The inspector general says it's too east to get into secure areas of airports. Just last month, the FAA tested security at 80 airports and was able to get into restricted areas a third of the time, even boarding 57 planes unchallenged. Background checks designed to prevent convicted criminals from working at airports were criticized for not going far enough. Critics say they permit people convicted of assault, burglary or even drug usage to get jobs. It wasn't all bad news for the FAA. Its use of computerized training devices was applauded. It's use of high-tech explosive detectors was also seen as positive, but the inspector genera; says the million-dollar devices are underused. The FAA says it's working to fix the problems, and officials say even though there may be flaws, the security program has been effective. They point out that there has never been a terrorist strike at a U.S. airport, and no U.S. airliner was been hijacked since 1991 -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: All right, Carl Rochelle, thank you. Search CNN.com CNNSI.com CNNmoney.com The Web
Congressional Committee Examines Question of Airline Security