[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 21, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H63]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF UNITED STATES SEAPORT MULTIYEAR SECURITY ENHANCEMENT 
                                  ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with the President's 
message last night on the critical need for security enhancement around 
our seaports and airports, I am introducing legislation today, the 
United States Seaport Multiyear Security Enhancement Act, and I ask all 
of my colleagues to support it. This is a bipartisan issue. Seaport 
security continues to be an ongoing national concern that Congress 
cannot afford to ignore any longer.
  The United States Seaport Multiyear Security Enhancement Act is much-
needed legislation that seeks to provide a steady, predictable stream 
of funding for port security projects. In short, this legislation 
creates a port security grant program within the Homeland Security 
Department. Our Nation's 361 seaports are considered a major terrorist 
target. It is known that al Qaeda has strong ties to the shipping 
industry and that one of the aims of this terrorist network is to 
weaken the economic security of our country. Our Nation's coastline is 
our longest border, which is a 95,000-mile coast that includes the 
Great Lakes and inland waterways.
  Protecting America's seaports is critical to the Nation's economic 
growth, vitality and security. Seaports handle 95 percent of our 
Nation's overseas trade by volume, support the mobilization and 
deployment of U.S. Armed Forces and serve as transit points for 
millions of cruise and ferry passengers. Maritime industries contribute 
$742 billion per year to the U.S. gross national product.
  The United States Coast Guard has issued final regulations that call 
for immediate and long-term investment in securing our seaports. 
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, implementing these regulations that 
directly address our seaport security needs will cost $1.125 billion in 
the first year and $5.45 billion over 10 years. To date, security 
funding to our seaports has been woefully underfunded. Congress has 
provided $442 million in seaport security funding through three rounds 
of competitive grant funding and from the Office of Domestic 
Preparedness. Given our Nation's economic dependence on our seaports 
and our ongoing national security concerns, Mr. Speaker, seaport 
security funding and the need for Federal support for our Nation's 
security should be ongoing.
  Given the enormity of these seaport capital infrastructure projects, 
my legislation seeks to do the following: Establish a multiyear seaport 
grant program that resembles the letter of intent measures established 
in the aviation security program. And it calls for multiyear grants and 
$800 million per year for port security grant funding. The program 
would be authorized for 5 years.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is much needed. According to the 
Department of Homeland Security, to date, $1 out of every $10 requested 
for port security grants is funded. That is one out of 10. The 
continuing security and economic needs that face our Nation and our 
seaports should be recognized by the establishment of the U.S. Seaport 
Multiyear Security Enhancement Act, the legislation that I am 
introducing today. I ask all of my colleagues for their support of this 
very important piece of legislation.

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