U.S. Rep. to talk with TSA brass after Channel 9 reporter questioned over DC driver's license

WASHINGTON — A member of Congress is stepping in to pressure the Transportation Safety Administration after Eyewitness News reporter Justin Gray was questioned about his District of Columbia driver's license at Orlando International Airport nearly two weeks ago.
 
On Friday, Gray sat down with U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton who said she's heard from even more people since the original stories aired.
 
"I wasn't the only person you've heard this happen to in the past few weeks?" Gray asked Norton.
 
"Oh no, we heard from several people before and after," said Norton.
 
Norton has represented the District of Columbia in Congress for more than two decades. She said she had a hard time understanding how a TSA agent wouldn't know what the District of Columbia is.
 
"That's Civics 101," said Norton.
 
It was back in February that the Norton first started hearing about new District of Columbia driver's licenses being denied at TSA checkpoints.
 
"I took what I thought was corrective action. (I) talked personally with FAA highly placed officials, got word they had taken immediate action," said Norton.
 
She said that's why when she heard what happened to Gray at Orlando International Airport, she was surprised.  
 
"I guess it shows nobody is immune," said Norton.
 
At the airport a TSA agent demanded Gray's passport because he didn't know what District of Columbia stood for on Gray's Washington, D.C. driver's license. The agent didn't recognize it as a real United States identification.
 
"You reached out to them in February, thought you had it solved. Now you tell me you want to meet with them again to go over this issue one more time?" Gray asked Norton.
 
"Because it isn't solved," she said. "I'm concerned enough so that I am going to be meeting with highly placed officials with the TSA to sit down and see if we can figure this out together."
 
Norton said she plans to hold a one-on-one problem-solving session with TSA top brass.
 
"We think that alone the publicity from this of having even a reporter stopped is going to help educate TSA officials in ways nothing else could," said Norton.
 
Last week TSA officials told Gray that they're now showing copies of District of Columbia IDs to all agents.

Norton said that's what they told her nearly six months ago, which is why she's demanding a new meeting with TSA leaders.

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