Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - November 15, 2005)

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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today I'm pleased to introduce the bipartisan GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act with the chair of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Senator SUSAN COLLINS.

We've worked together to create an innovative bill that will protect the American people and protect our economy from terrorist threats.

Our bill will help close one of the most dangerous vulnerabilities facing our nation--a terrorist organization using cargo containers to bring weapons and terrorists into the United States.

For decades, industry leaders in my home state of Washington and around the world have worked hard to create an open, efficient trading system. That system relies on cargo containers to move the vast majority of the world's commerce from factory to market.

The cargo container has reduced the cost of trade--helping American businesses and creating American jobs. We can be proud of the efficiency and speed of our container trading system.

But that system was designed for a different time--before terrorist attacks on American soil and before fanatics took jetliners and turned them into missiles.

Our bill addresses those concerns. Our bill increases scrutiny of shipments. It provides benefits to shippers but only after we have verified that they have improved security. And it ensures we keep testing the system to make sure it stays secure.

Let me quickly summarize the benefits of the GreenLane Act. It gives U.S. officials in foreign ports the authority to inspect suspicious containers before they are loaded for departure into the United States. The GreenLane Act makes the haystack of containers smaller so that the search is smaller. It allows the Government to focus on suspicious cargo. It ensures that we are inspecting and stopping cargo that poses a threat. And it cuts down smuggling of weapons, people, drugs or other illegal cargo.

A smaller haystack and strict overseas security measures will allow the United States and foreign officials to better stop criminal actions and threats to our national security. The GreenLane Act protects America's economy in the event of a terror attack, and it provides a secure, organized way to quickly resume cargo operations after any emergency shutdown. Because any shutdown of ports has the potential to cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars a day, the GreenLane Act will minimize the economic impact of a terrorist attack. And the GreenLane Act creates market incentives for everyone in the supply chain to improve security and take responsibility for the cargo they handle.

Today we have a choice in how we deal with the cargo security challenges that face us. But if we wait for a disaster, we will not have a choice. If we all agree on a system now, we will have a role in shaping what it looks like and making sure it is sensitive to the need for free-flowing commerce. I am here to say, along with Senator COLLINS, that we need to make these changes on our terms now before there is an incident. If we wait until after there is an incident, we risk drastic actions that will hurt everyone. With the GreenLane Act we introduce today, we have the opportunity to create effective, efficient systems and put them in place now.

I invite anyone who cares about our security and our economy to join Senator COLLINS and me in this effort. If anybody would like more information, visit my Web page at Murray.Senate.Gov/GreenLane.

I thank Senator COLLINS for her tremendous leadership and partnership in developing this legislation. She brings tremendous experience and expertise to one of America's biggest threats. It has been a pleasure to work with her in developing this critically important bill. I look forward to working with her, and anyone else here, to help turn the ideas of this bill into laws that will protect the American people.

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