[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 83 (Thursday, June 20, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE:
  S. 2656. A bill to require the Secretary of Transportation to develop 
and implement plan to provide security for cargo entering the United 
States or being transported in intrastate or interstate commerce; to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation aimed 
at closing the dangerous cargo security loophole in our Nation's 
aviation security network.
  Last year, with the passage of the Aviation and Security Act of 2001, 
we reinvented aviation security. We overturned the status quo, and I am 
proud of the work we did. We put the Federal Government in charge of 
security and we have made significant strides toward restoring the 
confidence of the American people that it is safe to fly.
  We no longer have a system in which the financial ``bottom line'' 
interferes with protecting the flying public. We also addressed the 
gamut of critical issues, including baggage screening, additional air 
marshals, cockpit security, and numerous other issues.
  But there is more work to be done. We must not lose focus. If we are 
to fully confront the aviation security challenges we face in the 
aftermath of September 11, we must remain aggressive. We need a ``must-
do'' attitude, not excuses about what ``can't be done'', because we are 
only as safe as the weakest link in our aviation security system.
  I believe one of the most troubling shortcomings, which persists to 
this day, is the lax cargo security infrastructure. The Department of 
Transportation Inspector General will warn in a soon-to-be-released 
report that the existing system is ``easily circumvented.'' This must 
not be allowed to stand.
  Moreover, according to a June 10 Washington Post report, internal 
Transportation Security Administration documents warn of an increased 
risk of an attack designed to exploit this vulnerability because TSA 
has been focused primarily on meeting its new mandates to screen 
passengers and luggage.
  This is clear evidence that cargo security needs to be bolstered. And 
time is not on our side. We must act now. The legislation I am 
introducing today is designed to tackle this issue by directing the 
Transportation Security Administration to submit a detailed cargo 
security plan to Congress that will address the shortcomings in the 
current system.
  And while the TSA is designing and implementing this plan, my bill 
would require interim security measures to be put in place immediately. 
The interim security plan would include random screening of at least 5 
percent of all cargo, an authentication policy designed to ensure that 
terrorists are not able to impersonate legitimate shippers, audits of 
each phase of the shipping process in order to police compliance, 
training and background checks for cargo handlers. and funding for 
screening and detection equipment.
  On September 11, terrorists exposed the vulnerability of our 
commercial aviation network in the most horrific fashion. The Aviation 
and Transportation Security Act of 2001 was a major step in the right 
direction, but we must always stay one step ahead of those who would 
commit vicious acts of violence on our soil aimed at innocent men, 
women, and children.
  This bill is designed to build on the foundation we set last year. I 
urge my colleagues to join me in addressing this critical matter.
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