Madame Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1, the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act.

I am pleased that in the first 100 hours of the 110^th Congress, the Democratic Leadership is taking up legislation of enormous importance: how to make our nation safe from future terrorist attacks.

As a nation, we must work harder to close the security gaps that still exist.  For example, we know that transportation systems are a frequent target of terrorist attacks.  In fact, one-third of the terrorist attacks that take place around the world target transportation systems.

As many have observed, our nation’s security is only as strong as our weakest link.  This bill will help strengthen some of our weakest links, especially with respect to security at our ports.

Today only about 5 percent of the more than 11 million shipping containers destined for the United States are inspected or scanned.  We cannot own or control the entire global trade network, but we can and should ensure the security of containers destined for this country.

Security experts agree that nuclear weapons, or bomb-making materials, could easily be smuggled into the country under the current regime. 

Beyond the human toll an attack on or through our ports would have a dramatic economic impact and could bring the flow of commerce to a dead stop.  A terrorist attack on our ports – or an attack carried out through a cargo container system – would undermine our nation’s confidence in the hundreds of thousands of containers that crisscross our country every day.

I’m proud to represent one of the busiest commercial ports on the West Coast – the Port of Hueneme.  The employees at the Port and the people that live and work around it appreciate that this bill will finally close this glaring security gap.

H.R. 1 ensures that every container is scanned using the best available technology before being loaded onto a ship destined for our country.  And it mandates a gradual implementation to ensure that overseas ports have the time to purchase and install new scanning equipment.  These measures will ensure that commerce will continue to flow as these important security measures are taken.

As you know, this legislation is modeled on the operations conducted at container terminals in Hong Kong, which scans 100 percent of cargo containers without impeding commerce.  The cost of creating this security system is quite minimal.  In fact, the estimated cost to scan a container is only $6.50 – a drop in the bucket given it costs about $4,000 to ship a container from Asia to the United States. 

All Congress needs to do is make 100 percent scanning the policy of the United States.  And this legislation would do just that

To protect the security of our nation, Congress must act to implement this recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, and the others included in this legislation, to further secure our homeland.

Madame Speaker, we continue to confront grave threats, and there is no greater priority than ensuring the safety of our country.

I urge my colleagues to support this vital legislation.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.