Port Security
Democratic congressman Ed Markey of Massachusetts is on the Homeland Security Committee and has been fighting for years for better ports security funding, because the easiest way to smuggle a nuclear weapon into this country is through our ports.
Last year, he introduced an amendment to improve port security, which mandated 100 percent of the cargo inspection of all ships coming in from overseas. Every Republican on the homeland security committee voted against his amendment, although they knew that 95 percent of the cargo that comes into our ports isn't inspected. For years, Democrats have introduced no less than a dozen amendments that would have increased funding for port security, but were rejected by the Republican leadership.
House Republicans are finally coming to the realization that there is no national security without strict port security, and have passed a $7.5 billion port security bill that they are calling an important step in homeland security enforcement.
The prospect of a nuclear bomb coming to a major port in a container ship is a very real possibility. The House bill wants electronic radiation screening equipment at our domestic ports and the bill also calls for document checks of all containers in overseas ports before the containers come to the United States.
Markey says this bill has a loophole big enough to drive a cargo container filled with nuclear weapons material through it. He wants overseas ports to electronically scan all containers before they come to our ports, and claims that the bill is flaw, because once a ship containing a nuclear weapon enters our port it’s to late.
The White House issued a statement backing the bill, but it says the cost is high, the new domestic screening technology cannot be put in place by September 2007. That will be seven years after September 11th, and the cost is pocket change compared to what we’re spending in Iraq.
The Bush regime and Congressional Republicans have allowed the corporations to decide how much security will be provided for the American people. They believe that commerce is more important than national security.
House Republicans have failed to fulfill their oversight responsibilities, and this port security bill allowed those up for reelection to appear tough on security.
Last year, he introduced an amendment to improve port security, which mandated 100 percent of the cargo inspection of all ships coming in from overseas. Every Republican on the homeland security committee voted against his amendment, although they knew that 95 percent of the cargo that comes into our ports isn't inspected. For years, Democrats have introduced no less than a dozen amendments that would have increased funding for port security, but were rejected by the Republican leadership.
House Republicans are finally coming to the realization that there is no national security without strict port security, and have passed a $7.5 billion port security bill that they are calling an important step in homeland security enforcement.
The prospect of a nuclear bomb coming to a major port in a container ship is a very real possibility. The House bill wants electronic radiation screening equipment at our domestic ports and the bill also calls for document checks of all containers in overseas ports before the containers come to the United States.
Markey says this bill has a loophole big enough to drive a cargo container filled with nuclear weapons material through it. He wants overseas ports to electronically scan all containers before they come to our ports, and claims that the bill is flaw, because once a ship containing a nuclear weapon enters our port it’s to late.
The White House issued a statement backing the bill, but it says the cost is high, the new domestic screening technology cannot be put in place by September 2007. That will be seven years after September 11th, and the cost is pocket change compared to what we’re spending in Iraq.
The Bush regime and Congressional Republicans have allowed the corporations to decide how much security will be provided for the American people. They believe that commerce is more important than national security.
House Republicans have failed to fulfill their oversight responsibilities, and this port security bill allowed those up for reelection to appear tough on security.
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