[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 119 (Thursday, September 21, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S9906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER.
  S. 3927. A bill to require the placement of blast-resistant cargo 
containers on all commercial passenger aircraft; to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I was pleased that the Senate leadership 
finally agreed to consider a port security bill last week. It is high 
time we did more about security at our ports.
  Our ports are a soft target. We knew this before 9/11 and many 
experts have warned us since that terrible day that our ports are 
vulnerable to attack.
  Since the port security bill was signed into law at the end of 2002, 
we have not moved forward on port security, and it remains dangerously 
underfunded. Since the 9/11 attacks, we have spent only $816 million on 
port security grants, despite Coast Guard estimates that $5.4 billion 
is needed over 10 years.
  Addressing port security is critical. However, security for other 
transportation modes is important, but the Republican leadership wanted 
us to do port security and nothing else.
  Through the efforts of many Senators, provisions for rail and transit 
security were included. But, the final bill the Senate approved does 
not contain any major provisions for aviation security. Yes, aviation 
security has improved greatly in the last five years. But, as we 
recently found out with the aviation terrorist plot uncovered by the 
British authorities, there are still holes in the system.
  Transportation Security Administration, TSA, has implemented new 
security procedures since we learned of the London terror plot to 
detonate liquid explosives on flights from Great Britain to the United 
States. While I support these new procedures, TSA is asking passengers 
to give up their lip gloss, yet we are not examining cargo loaded on 
board our passenger planes.
  I am pleased that the Department of Homeland Security will launch a 
pilot program at San Francisco Airport, SFO, this October to check all 
commercial cargo for explosives on passenger flights.
  We should be doing this at every airport to ensure the security of 
the flying public and the solvency of the airline industry. But until 
that time, at the very least, we need to use at least one blast 
resistant cargo container on passenger planes that carry cargo. This 
was one of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
  For several years, I have been working to get these containers on 
planes.
  Currently, TSA is undertaking a pilot project using these containers, 
some of which are made with Kevlar, for cargo. But we must move past 
pilot programs.
  We should use blast-resistant containers for cargo on all passenger 
planes. That is why I an introducing a bill to do just that.
  The 9/11 Commission recommended, TSA should require that every 
passenger aircraft carrying cargo deploy at least one hardened 
container to carry any suspect cargo. Therefore, all passenger planes 
should have at least one blast-resistant container for cargo.
  To place one blast-resistant container on each plane, it would cost 
about $75 million--this is equal to the cost of a little more than 5 
hours in Iraq. Imagine the impact on the security of the country and 
the financial outlook for the airline industry if a plane were to 
explode during a flight.
  We owe this to the American people. We cannot allow terrorists to 
exploit holes in our aviation security system.
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      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 3928. A bill to provide for the Office of Domestic Preparedness of 
the Department of Homeland Security to provide grants to local 
governments for public awareness education relating to preparedness for 
natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and influenza pandemic; to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, in the last 5 years, Americans have faced 
both devastating terrorist attacks and natural disasters. We have also 
been warned that an avian flu pandemic is a strong possibility.
  In California, we have had fires, floods, mudslides, and 
earthquakes--thankfully not the big one.
  We have learned that disasters are inevitable. Being prepared is 
crucial--especially when the American people cannot rely on the Federal 
Government, which was demonstrated by the poor Federal response in 
Hurricane Katrina. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael 
Chertoff has even said, People should be prepared to sustain themselves 
for up to 72 hours after a disaster.
  Therefore, being prepared and knowing how to respond in the days 
following a natural disaster is extremely important. However, people do 
not know how to prepare, and, unfortunately, local governments may lack 
the resources to educate their residents.
  According to the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles County officials 
could not afford to distribute pamphlets on earthquake preparedness for 
individuals with special needs.
  That is why I am pleased to introduce legislation that will provide 
grants, through the Department of Homeland Security's Office of 
Domestic Preparedness, to local governments to educate the public about 
how to deal with natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and an influenza 
pandemic.
  It is important that we work to make sure that local communities are 
able to prepare their citizens to deal with future disasters.
  I hope my colleagues will support this legislation.

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