[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S10662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          UNFINISHED BUSINESS

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, as the Republican leadership gavels this 
session to a close, I am disappointed by the inaction and missed 
opportunities on America's most crucial priorities.
  First, although we did finally pass a long overdue port security 
bill, we still have a long way to go to protect our infrastructure. We 
knew before 9/11 that our ports are soft targets, and since that 
terrible day, many experts have continued to warn us that they are 
vulnerable to attack.
  Since the 9/11 attacks, we have spent only $984 million on port 
security grants, despite Coast Guard estimates that $5.4 billion is 
needed over 10 years. That total includes the grants that were released 
this week.
  To make matters worse, port security funds aren't reaching the ports 
that need them the most. In California, port security grants awarded by 
the Bush administration have fallen from $33.3 million in fiscal year 
2005 to $13.3 million in fiscal year 2006, a staggering 60 percent 
reduction. Despite the fact that California's ports carry over 47 
percent of all goods imported into the United States, we are receiving 
only eight percent of the total port security grants funding.
  In addition, the final port security bill lacks the Senate-passed 
transit and rail security provisions. The last three major attacks have 
been on transit systems in Madrid, London, and in July, Mumbai. 
According to APTA, there are $6 billion in transit security needs 
across the country. But last year, Congress appropriated only $150 
million for transit and rail security. That is barely a drop in the 
bucket. Americans take 33 million trips on transit each day. We must do 
more to protect them.
  The Senate bill also does not consider aviation security. Yes, 
aviation security has improved greatly in the last five years. But five 
years after 9/11, we are still not screening cargo loaded on board 
passenger planes. I am pleased that DHS will launch a pilot program at 
San Francisco Airport, SFO, this October to check all commercial cargo 
for explosives on passenger flights, but we should be doing this at 
every airport in America to ensure the safety of passengers 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 major recommendations of the 
9/11 Commission. When I tried to offer an amendment to do just that, 
the Republican managers of the bill blocked my amendment.
  Cost is not the problem here. The price to place one blast-resistant 
container on planes is about $75 million or a little more than the 
price of 5 hours in Iraq. The American people deserve to know that we 
are doing everything we can to keep them safe. We cannot allow 
terrorists to exploit holes in our aviation security system.
  Second, although we passed border fence legislation, we failed to act 
on the AgJOBS bill, which would provide a much-needed solution to the 
farm labor shortage crisis that is threatening our nation's farm 
economy. In California and across America, fruit and vegetables are 
dying on the vine and rotting in the fields because there are no 
workers to harvest the crops.
  Earlier today, my friend from Georgia, Senator Chambliss, came to the 
floor to speak against the AgJOBS bill. He said that as he has traveled 
the country this year holding farm bill hearings, every farmer he met 
told him to oppose AgJOBS.
  Yet, if the Senator from Georgia had come to California, our Nation's 
largest agricultural State, he would have heard from farmers who 
desperately need and want the AgJobs bill passed now. And they are not 
alone. Farmers in States experiencing labor shortages in Idaho, 
Washington, New York and Florida, among others, want this bill, as do a 
broad coalition of pro-agriculture groups.
  The H-2A program is badly in need of reform, and the AgJOBS bill, 
which the Senate has already passed with more than 60 votes, enacts 
those meaningful reforms. These AgJobs will save users money, simplify 
the program, streamline the litigation process, and bring stability to 
our nation's agricultural work force.
  And third, we also failed to stand up for fair and smooth elections. 
On Tuesday, Senators Dodd, Feingold and I introduced the Confidence in 
Voting Act of 2006, S. 3943, a simple bill that would reimburse 
electoral jurisdictions for the cost of contingency paper ballots for 
the General Election. Under the bill, the jurisdictions would be 
reimbursed for their documented costs up to $0.75 per contingency paper 
ballot printed.
  This bill is timely in light of the recent problems with voting 
machines in Maryland, Illinois, Ohio and other states. It is clear that 
many jurisdictions that use electronic voting machines and other voting 
systems will need to have a backup plan for the upcoming November 7, 
2006, general election.
  The Confidence in Voting Act of 2006 would work within the existing 
structure of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to provide reimbursement 
funding for jurisdictions that provide a contingency paper ballot in 
addition to their existing voting system. The estimated maximum cost of 
this measure is approximately $15 million a small price to pay to 
ensure that every American's vote is counted.
  The American people deserve better. We face great challenges that 
will determine our safety and prosperity for years to come. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting long overdue legislation for the 
security of our infrastructure, to aid our farmers, and to ensure our 
right to fair and accountable elections.

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