House Speaker Dennis Hastert can’t predict the outcome of a vote on the airline security bill. Republicans like Hastert want federal oversight of airline security, but want front-line workers at airport checkpoints to be private-sector employees so they may be fired more quickly when they don’t do the job.Democrats and a few republicans, like Congressman Greg Ganske of Des Moines, are pressing for all security workers at the nation’s airports to be federal employees. He says other countries have worked with a mix of federal and private workers. During a news conference today in Des Moines, Hastert said there’d be a vote on the airport security bill on Wednesday, and he doesn’t know how it’ll turn out.Hastert, who’s from Illinois, campaigned today for Iowa Congressman Tom Latham. He spoke privately at a luncheon fundraiser in Des Moines.
