[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 2946]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   PORT SECURITY: ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A WASHINGTON REPUBLICAN COVERUP

  (Mr. CLEAVER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, the Bush-Dubai ports contract was a bad 
deal for national security when it involved six American seaports. Now 
it turns out the company would operate 22 U.S. ports for far more than 
the President said were included in the deal.
  My friends, America is not secure. The majority of the voters in my 
home district in Missouri are appalled. They don't understand why U.S. 
companies cannot operate all the ports.
  Just yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff said that 
handing over American ports to a Dubai company would give the U.S. a 
better handle on security at U.S. terminal operations. I don't know the 
Secretary personally, so I don't know whether or not he was serious. I 
do know this: American security should not be outsourced.
  The only way to increase port security at our docks is to actually 
screen every single container that comes into the U.S. Democrats 
support fully funding port security to make sure that terrorists are 
not allowed to smuggle dangerous chemicals into our Nation. Only 6 
percent of the cargo that is coming into the ports is screened. America 
can do better.

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