Dreier Praises Passage of Port Security Bill

May 4, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas,CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, voted today to approve legislation that will enhance port security across the United States. The Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act of 2006was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support, 422-2.

"In the Global War on Terror, there are no clear front lines," Dreier said, "and defending our ports is a critical part of our homeland security. At the same time, our ports, especially in Southern California, help provide thousands of jobs and fuel our economy. Using new technology to ensure smarter, more effective security is key to the safety of our ports and our country, and it’s vital to keeping these gateways for economic growth fully operational."

The SAFE Port Act reforms the existing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) port security program by designating $400 million per year for risk-based port security grants to harden U.S. ports against terrorist attacks and enhance response capabilities in the event of an attack. Total port security since September 11, 2001 has been $700 million. The addition of the new grant program alone more than double the annual rate of spending on port security.

The legislation also requires DHS to deploy nuclear and radiological detection systems at 22 U.S. seaports, covering 98 percent of containers bound for the U.S. Additionally, the bill requires DHS to develop standards for sealing containers bound for the U.S. in order to better secure the supply chain, and to implement those standards within two years. The bill also requires DHS to further secure cargo by collecting additional data on the 100 percent of cargo that is currently screened before leaving foreign ports bound for the U.S.

"Since September 11, Congress has looked at where this nation is vulnerable to terrorist attack and taken strong action with long-term solutions," Dreier said. "This legislation strikes the right balance by significantly enhancing port security without constricting our economy."