[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H256-H257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        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, today I am introducing the 
United States Seaport Multiyear Security Enhancement Act, and I am 
asking all of my colleagues to support it.
  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 target 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 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 services, and serve as transit points for millions of crews 
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 an

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immediate and long-term investment in securing our seaports. According 
to the United States Coast Guard, implementing these regulations that 
directly address our Seaport security needs will cost $1.1 billion in 
the first year and $5.5 billion over 10 years.
  To date, security funding to our seaports has been woefully 
underfunded. Last year, the administration requested $46 million for 
Port Security funding. We can and we must do better, Mr. Speaker.
  Given our Nation's economic dependence on our seaports and our 
ongoing national security concerns, 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 multi-year 
seaport grant program that resembles the Letter of Intent measures 
established in the aviation security program; call for multi-year 
grants and $800 million per year for Port Security Grant Funding. The 
program would be authorized for 5 years.
  This legislation is much needed. We should recognize the continuing 
security and economic needs that face our Nation and our seaports, and 
implementing the U.S. Seaport Multiyear Security Enhancement Act is an 
important step in doing so. I ask my colleagues to support this 
important legislation.

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