Cantwell Measures Included in Homeland Security Legislation Passed by Senate
Cantwell Measures Included in Homeland Security Legislation Passed by Senate
Measures include border tunnel ban, pilot program to test UAVs on northern border, scanning of cargo containers at foreign ports Cantwell: Senate missed opportunities to increase critical anti-terrorism funds for local communities
Thursday, July 13,2006
WASHINGTON, DC - Thursday night, the Senate passed key homeland security initiatives championed by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) as part of legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security during 2007. The legislation includes initiatives sponsored by Cantwell to ban border tunnels and begin a pilot program to test the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along the northern border. It also includes Cantwell-backed measures to create a pilot program to use a new system for scanning U.S.-bound cargo containers at three foreign ports. Cantwell applauded the inclusion of these initiatives, but criticized the Senate's failure to reverse deep cuts to the Homeland Security Grant Program and other initiatives that support first responders across the country.
"We took a number of critical steps toward securing our ports and borders," said Cantwell. "By banning border tunnels and getting unmanned aircraft to patrol our rugged northern border, we can strengthen our nation's security. And with an improved system to screen cargo at foreign ports of origin, we can more effectively expand our borders and develop a far more reliable port security system."
The Senate approved a bipartisan amendment sponsored by Norm Coleman (R-MN) and supported by Cantwell that would create a pilot program at three foreign ports to test a system using integrated technologies to scan cargo containers before shipping them to U.S. ports.
The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007 also includes a ban on the construction, use, or financing of border tunnels. Currently, tunnel construction is not a crime, meaning suspects only face drug conspiracy or illegal immigration charges, and are not charged for the actual tunnel construction. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, well over 30 tunnels have been discovered along America's borders since 9/11including a 360-foot tunnel in Whatcom County. In March, Cantwell joined Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to back a border tunnel ban. The legislation was later included in the immigration reform bill, but this
http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=258640&&days=30&