Foreign airlines operating in the United States would be required to check the U.S. government’s no-fly list within 30 minutes of being informed of an update, under provisions added to a war-spending bill by the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who heads the panel, said tougher standards than what the administration announced last week were needed to ensure terrorists do not board aircraft.

The Obama administration said it would begin requiring airlines to check the list of those barred from aircraft within 2 hours after the U.S. alerts airlines of an update, rather than 24 hours. The change came after the suspect in the May 1 attempted bombing in New York City’s Times Square was able to board a plane bound for Dubai before being arrested on May 3.

“We face a new kind of attacker, someone already in this country, someone who can hide in plain sight, and it underscores the vital need to improve our defense,” said Feinstein. “The no-fly list is one of our best lines of defense against this type of attacker, so it’s critical that we make it as effective as possible.”

The Senate Appropriations Committee on May 13 approved a $59 billion measure that would fund President Barack Obama’s troop buildup in Afghanistan, military operations in Iraq and disaster assistance for Tennessee, Rhode Island and other states. It also includes $68 million to help cover cleanup costs from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill began after Transocean Ltd.’s Deepwater  Horizon drilling rig, leased to London-based BP Plc, exploded April 20 and sank two days later.

Democrats aim to send the bill to Obama by lawmakers’ Memorial Day recess. (Bloomberg)