Implementing The 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007
IMPLEMENTING THE 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - January 09, 2007)
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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman very much.
In this bill there are two provisions which have been blocked for 4 years by the White House and by Republican leadership. They are going to be included in this bill and passed this afternoon.
One is to require that all cargo which is placed on passenger planes in the United States is screened so that there is no bomb, there is nothing that can lead to a catastrophic event in the air, does in fact pass through security. This is a huge change. Each of us has our bags screened, our shoes screened; but the cargo on that same plane placed next to our bags is not screened. This bill will make that possible. I have been working with Mr. Shays from Connecticut on this for the last 4 years. Today is a historic day.
Secondly, there is an amendment in this bill which will ensure the screening of all ships, all cargo overseas before it departs for the United States to determine whether or not there is a nuclear bomb on that plane. We know that is al Qaeda's highest objective: to obtain a nuclear weapon from the former Soviet Union or from some other rogue state, to then transport it to a port somewhere around the world, put it on a ship and bring it to a port in the United States. When it is in the port of New York or Boston or Long Beach, it is already too late.
The bomb will be detonated by remote on the ship, causing the catastrophic event, not as the cargo is being taken off. So this amendment requires the screening of all that cargo overseas. This is long overdue. It is al Qaeda's dream to have a nuclear explosion in a major American city, and now, finally, today we do this.
I want to compliment Mr. Nadler on all of his work over the years on this issue, for his leadership. I thank the chairman, the ranking member, Mr. King, for all of their courtesies over the last several years.
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