Reps Lee and Thompson: Success in Port Security

Reps Lee and Thompson Cite Oakland Success in Port Security

Point to Ongoing Security Gaps and the Need for Comprehensive Homeland Security Plan

(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Bennie Thompson (D-MS) toured the Port of Oakland Thursday morning and met with officials to discuss port security. At a press conference after the meetings, Lee and Thompson highlighted the port's success in being the first in the nation to screen all international containers for radiation, but warned that more must be done nationally to protect ports from potential terrorist attack.

"I am proud that the Port of Oakland is the first in the country to screen all international containers for nuclear materials, but we need to act to make sure that the nation's other ports can offer this sort of security soon," said Lee.

"When it comes to port security, we still have a lot of work to do, not only with increasing funding, but also closing security loopholes, and making sure there is an adequate national plan in place," said Thompson.

The U.S. Coast Guard has estimated that necessary security improvements will cost $5.4 billion over ten years, but current funding levels fall far short of that goal. In addition, President Bush's FY'06 budget eliminated the Port Security Grant Program, and replaced it with the Targeted Infrastructure Protection program, which would lump grant proposals from ports together with requests from a host of other transportation-related industries.

"Forcing our nation's ports to compete for security funding with other transportation sectors just doesn't make sense," said Lee.

Lee and Thompson also stressed that the system used to prioritize the process of container inspection needs to be tightened. Currently, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) allows "known shippers" to bypass inspection. Although the goal of Customs and Border Protection was to validate all members of CTPAT within three years, to date they have completed on-site verification of only 11 percent.

"We need to close the loopholes in the screening of containers, and that means that making sure shippers who are certified actually meet the security criteria," said Lee.

Lee and Thompson also pointed out that the administration has still not issued a National Maritime Transportation Safety Plan to ensure that cargo can be re-routed in the event of an attack or other disaster at a U.S. port. The port of Oakland is the nation's fourth largest container port. Regionally, it has an annual $7 billion economic impact and its activities and those of its tenants support some 44,000 jobs in the region.

"There needs to be a national plan in place that ensures that a terrorist attack or a disaster at any of our nation's ports does not freeze our nation's economy," said Thompson

Lee and Thompson also pointed out that Democrats had offered a more comprehensive vision of Homeland Security policy that addresses issues like the lack of protection of key infrastructure, gaps in aviation security, and the under-funding of first responders.

During the House debate over the first-ever authorization bill for the Department of Homeland Security, Thompson introduced a Democratic alternative to the Republican bill which focused on meeting the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and addressing pressing security needs. Thompson's substitute would have provided for $6.9 billion more in funding than either the base bill or the President's budget. The Democratic bill also would have required a comprehensive border strategy, provided authority to ensure chemical plants are secured and required a three-year plan to ensure all air cargo on passenger planes is screened. Other provisions included requiring maritime cargo containers security standards and new security measures for rail and public transit.