[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H475-H476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SECURING OUR NATION'S PORTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say 
that in committee today we had the U.S. Coast Guard, and I want to 
commend them because after 9/11, they were the first agency within 
minutes to be on guard, guarding our bridges. And, in fact, after 
Katrina they were there and they did a yeoman's job. In fact, out of 
Homeland Security, FEMA, and the other agencies, it is the Coast Guard 
that really does a good job.
  The administration's decision to allow the state-owned Dubai Ports to 
take over six major U.S. ports has bought the issue of port security to 
the forefront of national attention. Since September 11, in fact, I 
have been lobbying the Bush administration for additional security 
funds for our Nation's ports and other areas of our Nation's 
infrastructure, such as freight and passenger rail, our subway systems, 
buses, tunnels and bridges. They also need security.
  To me, this funding is particularly needed in my State of Florida 
whose 14

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major ports serve as a key gateway into the United States. Moreover, 
these ports play a crucial role in transportation of ammunition, 
supplies and military equipment to our men and women fighting all over 
the world.
  The Bush administration has been telling the American public that 
they are checking, let us say, about 4 percent of the cargo that comes 
into the ports. But, in reality, they are only checking the manifests 
that list the inventory of the ships.
  Now, I think the American people are smart enough to know that if you 
are reading a piece of paper provided by the shippers and what is 
passing for port security in this Nation, then we are all in a lot of 
trouble.
  In addition, the administration's concentration of terrorist 
prevention funds in only the aviation industry has jeopardized the 
safety of other modes of transportation as well. For example, TSA is 
spending $4.4 billion alone on aviation security while only $36 
million, let me repeat, $36 million is spent on all surface 
transportation security. And with respect to our Nation's ports, which 
serve as the main economic engine for many of the areas in which they 
are found, an attack would not only be extremely dangerous for the 
local citizens, but economically disastrous as well.
  This is absolutely the wrong time for our government to make a 
decision that could give the impression of vulnerability in the 
security of our ports or our infrastructure system as a whole.
  The increased attention on our Nation's security infrastructure has 
come to the surface on the heels of the possible Dubai sale. I hope 
that the mass resistance to the sale will at least bring a discussion 
of the importance of increasing funding for our Nation's infrastructure 
security in the near future.
  In other words, security discussions should serve as a ``stand up'' 
for our Nation's security. I repeat, I hope this is a ``stand up'' for 
our Nation's security.
    

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