    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [October 13, 2006]
    [Pages 1847-1849]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of
    2006
    October 13, 2006

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you, and welcome. I'm pleased
    to have you here as I sign a bill that will help protect the American
    people and our ports. The SAFE Port Act will make this Nation more
    prepared, more prosperous, and more secure.
        I want to thank the Congress for its good work. I'm pleased that key
    Members of the Senate and the House have joined me here today, and I
    want to thank you for being here. I first want to thank the Secretary of
    Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, for
    his service to the country. I appreciate that Senate Majority Leader
    Bill Frist has joined us. I'm pleased that
    Senator Susan Collins, who is the chairman
    of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has
    joined us. She is one of the sponsors of the bill, as is Peter
    King, who's the chairman of the House Homeland
    Security Committee. These two Members are strong, strong chairmen, and
    they're doing a fine job to help us protect this country. I appreciate
    very much Senator Bob Bennett and Senator
    Patty Murray and Senator Norm Coleman for joining us, as well as Congressman Dan
    Lungren.
        The most solemn responsibility of the Federal Government is to
    protect the American people. And since September the 11th, the
    administration and the Congress have worked together, and we've led an
    unprecedented effort to safeguard our homeland. In other words, we
    learned the lessons of that attack. We've more than tripled spending on
    homeland security. We've

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    created a Federal Department of Homeland Security with a single mission:
    to protect the American people. We've trained and equipped hundreds of
    thousands of State and local first-responders. We've worked with public
    agencies and private companies to improve security at airports and
    aboard commercial airliners. We've strengthened protections at bridges
    and tunnels and other critical infrastructure. We have a responsibility
    to protect the homeland, and we're meeting that responsibility.
        Protecting our homeland requires protecting our borders. Since I
    took office, we more than doubled funding for border security, from $4.6
    billion in 2001 to 9.5 billion in 2006. We've increased the number of
    Border Patrol agents from around 9,000 to a little more than 12,000.
    We've upgraded technology and infrastructure along the border. We've
    apprehended and sent home more than 6 million people entering America
    illegally. This is important progress, but we've got a lot of more work
    to do.
        Last week in Arizona, I signed a bill that will allow us to hire
    1,500 more Border Patrol agents, deploy advanced technology like ground-
    based radar and infrared cameras, add beds in our detention facilities
    so we can work to end catch-and-release. Congress also passed a bill
    that will authorize the construction of about 700 miles of double-
    layered fencing along our Southern border. I'm going to sign that bill
    into law. I'll continue to work with Congress to pass comprehensive
    immigration reform that protects our country, enforces our laws, and
    upholds our values.
        Protecting our homeland also requires protecting our seaports. Our
    seaports are a gateway to commerce, a source of opportunity, and a
    provider of jobs. Our ports could also be a target of a terrorist
    attack, and we're determined to protect them.
        Since September the 11th, we've launched a series of new efforts to
    improve port security. We worked with Congress to pass the Maritime
    Transportation Security Act, which required American ports and vessels
    to adopt strict new security measures. We made wider use of intelligence
    to screen cargo and target suspicious containers for inspection. We've
    worked with foreign partners to improve their security procedures. And
    with the bill I sign today, we renew a clear commitment: We will work
    tirelessly to keep our Nation safe and our ports open for business.
        The SAFE Port Act will build on progress and help us protect our
    ports in three key ways. First, the SAFE Port Act will strengthen
    physical security measures at our ports by helping us harness the power
    of technology. The bill authorizes the development of 21st century
    inspection equipment, so that Customs agents can check inside cargo
    containers for dangerous materials without having to open them. The bill
    also requires radiation detection technology at our 22 busiest ports by
    the end of next year. America has the best technology in the world, and
    with this bill, we will apply that technology to make our ports the
    safest in the world.
        Second, the SAFE Port Act provides legislative authority for key
    elements of our port security strategy. The bill codifies into law the
    Container Security Initiative, which we launched in 2002. Through this
    initiative, we have deployed American inspectors to dozens of foreign
    ports on five continents where they are screening cargo before it leaves
    for our country.
        The bill also codifies into law the Customs Trade Partnership
    Against Terrorism, a joint effort between the public and private sectors
    to improve cargo security. Under this partnership, private shippers
    agree to improve their own security measures, and in return, they can
    receive benefits, including expedited clearance through our ports.
        And the bill provides additional authority for the Domestic Nuclear
    Detection Office, which we established to guard against the threat of
    terrorists smuggling a nuclear device into our country.

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        All these efforts are smart. They're working. And with this bill,
    they're here to stay.
        Finally, the SAFE Port Act requires the Department of Homeland
    Security to establish a plan to speed the resumption of trade in the
    event of a terrorist attack on our ports or waterways. This bill makes
    clear that the Federal Government has the authority to clear waterways,
    identify cleanup equipment, and reestablish the flow of commerce
    following a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent an
    attack, but if the terrorists succeed in launching an attack, we'll be
    ready to respond.
        We take these steps to improve our port security, and as we do so,
    we thank the hard-working Americans who protect our people day in and
    day out. We're grateful to the Coast Guard's men and women, the Customs
    and Border Protection officers, our port workers and managers, State and
    local law enforcement officers, and all those in the private sector who
    do their part to keep America safe. We're going to protect our ports.
    We're going to defend this homeland. And we're going to win the war on
    terror.
        With that, I'm now pleased to sign the SAFE Port Act into law.

    Note: The President spoke at 10 a.m. in Room 350 of the Dwight D.
    Eisenhower Executive Office Building. H.R. 4954, approved October 13,
    was assigned Public Law No. 109-347.