National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011

Floor Speech

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Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5136. I want to thank Chairman Skelton, the committee, and all of the staff that have brought us to this point.

Having visited Afghanistan and Iraq, I strongly agree that this bill will help us to restore and enhance the readiness of our troops. But with the limited time that I have to speak, I would like to focus on one part of the amendment today, and that is my amendment that would allow the Transportation Command to update and expand its Port Look 2008 strategic seaports study. This study remains a crucial tool to ensure that our ports remain ready to respond in the case of an emergency, and, worse, an attack.

My amendment would expand the scope of the report to include the consideration of infrastructure in the vicinity of strategic ports, including bridges, roads, and rail capacity. We must be ready to move our troops immediately and to get them the resources that they need.

I stand to say something that I have said before: ``The role of our ports is to connect the forts.'' If the transportation systems and infrastructure in and around our strategic ports are deficient, the ability of our ports to fulfill their readiness would fail.

I stand in support of this amendment.

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