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

PROVIDING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4167, NATIONAL UNIFORMITY FOR FOOD ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 08, 2006)

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the gentlewoman and the gentleman from Michigan, but I want to speak about the previous question, which the general public really does not understand.

But if we defeat the previous question, we get an opportunity to offer an amendment to this piece of legislation. Because so few pieces of legislation are passing this body, we have to take the opportunities you get, and I appreciate that the chairman of the Appropriations Committee Mr. Lewis has stated that he will insert language in the supplemental appropriation bill this afternoon, a supplemental for the war in Iraq and hurricane recovery, that will block the takeover of major American seaports by a Dubai company owned by the United Arab Emirates.

The Appropriations Committee will mark up that supplemental spending bill today, and it may be considered on the House floor next week, but the American people should harbor no illusions. We have absolutely no idea when the other body will take up this spending bill. Moreover, we have no idea of whether the Senate bill will even include a provision that addresses the vital national security issue of who owns our ports.

In fact, just today, Senator Stevens, who chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, is quoted as saying, ``I believe it ought to go through the 45-day review.'' So they are not going to take it up very soon.

Mr. Speaker, every Member of this House has the opportunity right now today to go on record as opposing the management of American seaports by a company owned by a foreign government. Now, it is not owning the seaports, but managing those seaports, and there is no excuse for not doing so. We have the opportunity.

If we defeat the previous question, that will be our intent, to offer an amendment to this bill, send it to the Senate, which will preclude ownership of the management of the ports of America by the Dubai corporation owned by the state. I urge every Member, oppose the previous question on the rule in order to allow consideration of language blocking the port deal.

Furthermore, I urge the American people to not lose sight of the bigger issue. This administration and this Republican Congress have failed to do what is necessary to protect our homeland and our people from attack. Just last week Steven Flynn, a former Commander of the Coast Guard and an expert on homeland security, testified before the House Armed Services Committee, ``My assessment,'' this is the Commander of the Coast Guard, now retired, ``My assessment is that the security measures that are currently in place do not provide an effective deterrent for a determined terrorist organization intent on exploiting or targeting the maritime transportation system to strike at the United States.''

Five years after the catastrophic attacks of September 11, there is simply no excuse for these continuing vulnerabilities to our national security. Today, by voting ``no'' on the previous question, we have an opportunity to say no to the management of America's ports by government-owned entities. Vote ``no'' on the previous question.

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