[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2130-2131]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             PORT SECURITY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, before he leaves the Chamber, I wish to 
thank my colleague from Virginia. I am not sure we see exactly eye to 
eye on this proposal, but no one doubts the sincerity, the integrity, 
and the intelligence and fervor with which our chairman of the Armed 
Services Committee seeks to do good for following through on what he 
believes is necessary for this country. I hope we can work together and 
come to an amiable arrangement. Obviously, because of his work, our two 
sides are closer together today than we were a week ago.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished friend and 
colleague. I would like to stay here and have the benefit of his 
remarks, but I am a member of the Homeland Security Committee. We are 
having a hearing on this subject now.
  But I say to my good friend that he is privileged to represent a 
State which is at the vortex of commercial transactions of world trade 
and the one-world market of which I just spoke. I hope, in the ensuing 
days as we begin to debate this and discuss it, he will avail himself 
of his industrial base in his State and the finances in his State to 
get a broader picture of the magnitude of the investment by the 
Government of Kuwait and, indeed, other Arab nations in the United 
States of America. Consequently, it is essential that we view this 
situation as one that is not influenced by any bias or prejudice or 
duality or double standards. No.
  I say to my friend, just ask your businessmen why would a company 
such as the UAE organization be looking to acquire just the franchises 
to operate terminals--not own terminal. We have to get that out. The 
terminals will remain in State control. Why would they want to invest 
$6.8 billion in projects throughout the world and in any way facilitate 
any individual or group to try an act of terror and be forced to 
jeopardize their own investment? We have to attribute to these people, 
even though they are beyond our shores, a tremendous business acumen, 
concern over their own security and their own interest.
  Having the opportunity to meet with the Mr. Bilkey Saturday evening--
he asked to see me, and I was happy to do that--I learned a great deal 
about the knowledge and level they have of how to put a greater 
security situation in the transit of these containers. Let us give them 
an opportunity.
  I thank my friend for his remarks.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague, and I certainly 
agree. I have talked to a good number of people in the business 
community and in the ports community of New York. The issue is a 
complicated one but one that is hardly clear-cut. But I will continue 
to pursue that.
  I also will make just one other point; that is, the worry many of us 
have is not that the head of this company would be wanting to 
facilitate terrorism but, rather, that terrorists might too easily 
infiltrate such an organization. I will get to that in a little bit of 
time.
  (The remarks of Mr. Schumer pertaining to the introduction of S. 2333 
are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. In my capacity as a Senator from Tennessee, I 
suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Democratic leader is recognized.

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