[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 22 (Thursday, February 9, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E175-E176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     GAUGING AMERICAN PORT SECURITY

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. JANICE HAHN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 9, 2012

  Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, the lessons of 
9/11 have taught us that we must continuously be vigilant in 
proactively seeking out and preventing our country's most pressing 
threats. That is why after 9/11, Congress began to shine a spotlight on 
previously ignored issues such as border security, airport security and 
strengthening identification procedures. However, an area that 
continues to be ignored is port security.

[[Page E176]]

  In the U.S., tens of thousands of ships each year make over 50,000 
calls on U.S. ports. These ships carry the bulk of the approximately 
two billion tons of freight, three billion tons of oil transports, and 
134 million passengers by ferry each year.
  The volume of traffic gives terrorists opportunities to smuggle 
themselves or their weapons into the United States with little risk of 
detection. According to a report by the Council on Foreign Relations, 
in May 2002 there were reports that twenty-five Islamist extremists 
entered the United States by hiding in shipping containers.
  This highlights the need for an immediate legislative solution to 
counter this problem. However, it is difficult to come up with an 
effective solution without first knowing all of the potential dangers.
  That is why I am introducing the Gauging American Port Security 
(GAPS) Act. The GAPS Act addresses these problems by requiring that the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report to Congress on the current 
weaknesses and vulnerabilities of U.S. ports and ensures that DHS 
develops a comprehensive plan for addressing them. Only by focusing on 
the specific dangers that threaten our port security, can we develop 
effective solutions to ensure our nation is prepared for any and all 
types of attacks.

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