OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Providing for Consideration of H.R. 4167, National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005

Date: March 2, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Foreign Affairs


PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4167, NATIONAL UNIFORMITY FOR FOOD ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 02, 2006)

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of defeating the previous question so that we may offer a proposal to ensure that America's ports remain safe.

As we all know, a company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates is attempting to purchase another company that runs several port terminals throughout the United States.

Even though the law requires an extra 45 days to investigate a contract like this if there is even a chance that it could threaten national security, the Bush administration chose to approve the deal without the extra investigation.

The administration approved the deal, even though we now know that a classified Coast Guard report said the deal might be a security risk.

The President and the UAE company have now voluntarily agreed to an extra 45-day investigation. But that is no longer good enough. We simply cannot trust this administration to get it right.

If we defeat the previous question, we will offer a bipartisan bill that I have introduced along with chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Peter King, giving Congress the authority to prohibit the deal if the President decides to let us go forward when the investigation is over.

Mr. Speaker, an extra provision has been added to Chairman KING's bill to ensure that congressional leadership cannot prevent Congress from taking action. The UAE deal is just further proof that we cannot get our port security right with this administration.

The 9/11 Commission said that the threat to our ports is as great, if not greater, than the 9/11 attacks.

And how has this administration responded? It has not dedicated enough personnel and resources to the two programs, CSI and CT-PAT, that are designed to secure our ports. As a result, high-risk container shipments enter the U.S. unchecked.

It has not created standards for container security to keep terrorists from tampering with our cargo. It has only deployed radiation detectors to equip 25 percent of the Nation's seaports. It only screens about 6 percent of the cargo that comes into this country.

Mr. Speaker, we have a problem. Our ports are not secure. By defeating this measure, we will give an opportunity for this Congress to vote on securing our ports.

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