Security and Accountability for Every Port Act
SECURITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EVERY PORT ACT -- (Senate - September 13, 2006)
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Mr. REED. Mr. President, on Monday, we marked the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The horror and sadness of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon remain with us as a nation. We are still trying to come to grips with the security failures that allowed four civilian airplanes to be hijacked resulting in the death and injury of thousands of Americans and civilians from across the world.
Fortunately, there has not been a terrorist attack on the United States since 9/11; but al-Qaida continues to perpetrate terrorist attacks throughout the world. We remain at risk.
Today, we are considering legislation essential to keeping American ports and the maritime industry safe from terrorist attacks. I commend Senators Collins, Lieberman, Stevens, Inouye, Grassley, Baucus, and Murray for their work on this legislation.
While our Nation acted quickly after 9/11 to secure our airports and airplanes, major vulnerabilities remain in maritime and surface transportation. As the 9/11 Commission concluded ``opportunities to do harm are as great, or greater, in maritime and surface transportation'' as in commercial aviation. I am glad the Senate is finally turning its attention to these critical security challenges.
A terrorist incident at one of our Nation's ports could have tremendous costs in human lives and force the shutdown of ports across the Nation, which would have devastating and long-term impacts on our economy.
This bill is a good first step in protecting our seaports and maritime industry. However, there must be funds to support the homeland security initiatives in this bill if we are to make more than a symbolic effort. I am glad that the Senate accepted Senator Murray's amendment to provide dedicated funding for port security. This administration and Congress has not made port, rail, or transit security priorities for funding, and authorizing language while important is not sufficient.
Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups continue to strike across the world. A recent survey by the Center for American Progress and Foreign Policy magazine of national security and terrorism experts found that 86 percent believe the world is now more dangerous, and 84 percent believe the United States is losing the war on terror. For too long, the administration's focus on the war in Iraq has diverted resources and attention from the true war on terror. These are resources that could be used to fund security efforts at airports, at ports, on rail, and on public transit. These are resources that could be used at home to make us safer.
Each year, more than 11 million containers pass through U.S. ports and 53,000 foreign-flagged vessels visiting them. Since 9/11, Congress has appropriated a total of $765 million for port security grants, including $173 million in fiscal year 2006, to help our ports adopt important security measures. The Coast Guard, however, estimated that needed port security improvements could cost more than $5 billion.
Transit agencies around the country have identified in excess of $6 billion in transit security needs--$5.2 billion in security-related capital investment and $800 million to support personnel and related operation security measures to ensure transit security and readiness.
I am pleased that the Senate passed an amendment coauthored by Banking Committee Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member Sarbanes, Senator Allard, and me to the port security bill that will authorize a needs-based grant program within the Department of Homeland Security to identify and address the vulnerabilities of our Nation's transit systems. I thank Senators Shelby and Sarbanes for their leadership and hard work on this vitally important issue.
This amendment, consistent with the Public Transportation Security Act that passed the Senate in the 108th Congress, provides $3.5 billion over the next 3 years to transit agencies for projects designed to resist and deter terrorist attacks, including surveillance technologies, tunnel protection, chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive detection systems, perimeter protection, training, the establishment of redundant critical operations control systems, and other security improvements.
Transit is the most common, and most vulnerable, target of terrorists worldwide, whether it is Madrid, London, Moscow, Tokyo, Israel, or Mumbai. According to a Brookings Institution study, 42 percent of all terrorist attacks between 1991 and 2001 were directed at mass transit systems.
Transit is vital to providing mobility for millions of Americans and offers tremendous economic benefits to our Nation. In the United States, people use public transportation over 32 million each week day compared to 2 million passengers who fly daily. Paradoxically, it is the very openness of the system that makes it vulnerable to terrorism. When one considers that roughly $9 per passenger is invested in aviation security, but less than one cent is invested in the security of each transit passenger, the need for this amendment and increased funding is clear.
Transit agencies and the women and men who operate them have been doing a tremendous job to increase security in a post 9/11 world, but there is only so much they can do with the very limited resources at their disposal. Our Nation's 6,000 transit agencies face a difficult balancing act as they attempt to tighten security and continue to move people from home to work or school or shopping or other locations efficiently and affordably. This amendment authorizes necessary funding to provide transit agencies with the tools they need to secure our commuter trains, subways, ferries, and buses.
With energy prices taking a larger chunk out of consumers' pocketbooks, public transit offers a solution to our national energy crisis and dependence on foreign oil. But, more Americans will not use transit unless commuters feel safe. I am glad that the Senate passed this bipartisan amendment which will grant transit security a similar standing as aviation security.
I would also like to take a moment to touch upon some of the provisions in the Real Security Act amendment offered by Senator Reid that are relevant to efforts I have been working on in my capacity as a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions--HELP--Committee. I am disappointed that this amendment failed on a budget point of order.
At the end of last year, the majority inserted into the must pass Department of Defense Appropriations bill broad liability protections for drug manufacturers for countermeasure products. While we certainly need vaccines and other medications to protect the population from the array of potential biological, chemical, and nuclear agents that could be intentionally used against us, such sweeping immunity was not appropriate.
At the same time, the bill did next to nothing to protect first responders, health care providers, and the general public should they be injured as a result of a countermeasure product utilized during the course of a public health emergency.
Senator Reid's Real Security amendment provided for a sound and logical process for anyone who is injured or dies as a result of a countermeasure to receive fair and just compensation under the vaccine injury compensation fund. The amendment also provided appropriate indemnification for producers of countermeasure products.
A key element in any effort to respond to a public health emergency is public trust and cooperation during the process. If our health care providers, first responders, and the general public do not have confidence in the response effort, they will choose not to participate. We have already been through this experience once with the President's failed effort to get first responders inoculated against smallpox.
We must have thoughtful and clear procedures in place to demonstrate to those who may be called upon during a public health emergency that they will have recourse should they suffer as a result of a countermeasure intended to protect them. We all know that no vaccine or pharmaceutical is 100 percent safe. A small segment of the population will inevitably suffer an adverse event and to ensure they are taken care of in this event is the right and responsible thing to do.
Another important area this amendment addresses is the need to strengthen our hospital and public health infrastructure.
Federal efforts to shore up our hospitals and public health systems continue to fall short. Despite the ongoing support for bioterrorism preparedness activities in cities and states, grants for these important efforts, like many other critical domestic priorities, have actually declined over the past year.
The Real Security amendment would have bolstered our hospitals and public health workforce in their preparedness efforts, enhances the ability of health care providers to respond during a public health emergency, and improves our domestic and international disease surveillance capabilities.
When it comes to protecting our homeland against a terrorist attack, we can and must do more to fortify our ports, our transit systems, and our health care infrastructure. We must also reorient our priorities to ensure that we are doing all we can to protect our most important asset--our citizens.
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