Local Port Security Act of 2006

Mr. President, on September 11, 2001, the longshoremen who work on the docks in Newark, NJ, could see the flames and smoke from the World Trade Center. Many of those dock workers lost a loved one or a friend that day. Of the three thousand people who died, 700 were from New Jersey.

I have been to Port Newark many times before--I used to serve as a Commissioner of the Port Authority. This week I went back to Port Newark to tell those workers why I thought it was a bad idea to turn control of their port over to the government of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. I really didn't have to explain it to them. They understood why it is a bad idea--just as 70 percent of the American people understand.

Unfortunately, as of yesterday, a company owned by the government of

Dubai now controls port operations in Newark--and five other major ports in the United States. This is an outcome we have been trying to prevent. And if Congress had been given any warning, we would have prevented it.

Instead, the Bush Administration gave this deal a casual thumbs-up, when it deserved the highest scrutiny. Now the President is telling my constituents in New Jersey--as well as residents of Philadelphia, Baltimore, South Florida and New Orleans--``don't worry.''

But that's not good enough.

By rubber stamping this deal, the Bush Administration sold out the Federal Government's ability to object to the deal. Any ``investigation'' at this point is after-the-fact and all for show. You don't buy a home before you look at it, and get it inspected. But that's what the Bush Administration did in this case.

The people who work in our port, and those who live nearby, know better than anyone how important it is to keep our ports secure. That's why I am introducing legislation today that will empower our ports to terminate leases that pose a security threat to the port and the surrounding community. My bill will give ports that power when the company that holds a lease is sold or taken over by a foreign company like the Dubai-owned one in this case.

This is a valid approach. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is already in court trying to invalidate the lease that was sold to Dubai Ports World. My bill would also encourage ports to do their own security assessment of transfers of ownership. It requires the Department of Homeland Security to assist our ports with those assessments.

We need to take this step to protect our constituents, because the Bush Administration has left them high and dry. The Administration has been playing a shell game on this issue from the very beginning. First they said no thorough investigation was needed, and approved the deal. Then came the public outcry. Now the Administration is supposedly conducting a ``thorough investigation.'' But it is a meaningless gesture--the deal was finalized already.

And before the so-called investigation even begins, President Bush has already made up his mind. On Tuesday, President Bush said: ``My position hasn't changed.'' So much for an objective investigation.

This is not a 45-day investigation. It's just a 45-day stalling period while the Administration hopes the American people will forget about this problem. But we don't forget what happened on September 11-- and we won't forget how the Administration tried to rubber-stamp this deal.

My constituents are alarmed. And unfortunately, the Bush administration hasn't displayed the competence that could restore public confidence. We can't afford to wait 45 days while the Administration stalls. The time to protect our constituents is now.

I urge my colleagues to support my bill, which will give local ports the power to protect the American people.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, on September 11, 2001, the longshoremen who work on the docks in Newark, NJ, could see the flames and smoke from the World Trade Center. Many of those dock workers lost a loved one or a friend that day. Of the three thousand people who died, 700 were from New Jersey.

I have been to Port Newark many times before--I used to serve as a Commissioner of the Port Authority. This week I went back to Port Newark to tell those workers why I thought it was a bad idea to turn control of their port over to the government of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. I really didn't have to explain it to them. They understood why it is a bad idea--just as 70 percent of the American people understand.

Unfortunately, as of yesterday, a company owned by the government of

Dubai now controls port operations in Newark--and five other major ports in the United States. This is an outcome we have been trying to prevent. And if Congress had been given any warning, we would have prevented it.

Instead, the Bush Administration gave this deal a casual thumbs-up, when it deserved the highest scrutiny. Now the President is telling my constituents in New Jersey--as well as residents of Philadelphia, Baltimore, South Florida and New Orleans--``don't worry.''

But that's not good enough.

By rubber stamping this deal, the Bush Administration sold out the Federal Government's ability to object to the deal. Any ``investigation'' at this point is after-the-fact and all for show. You don't buy a home before you look at it, and get it inspected. But that's what the Bush Administration did in this case.

The people who work in our port, and those who live nearby, know better than anyone how important it is to keep our ports secure. That's why I am introducing legislation today that will empower our ports to terminate leases that pose a security threat to the port and the surrounding community. My bill will give ports that power when the company that holds a lease is sold or taken over by a foreign company like the Dubai-owned one in this case.

This is a valid approach. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is already in court trying to invalidate the lease that was sold to Dubai Ports World. My bill would also encourage ports to do their own security assessment of transfers of ownership. It requires the Department of Homeland Security to assist our ports with those assessments.

We need to take this step to protect our constituents, because the Bush Administration has left them high and dry. The Administration has been playing a shell game on this issue from the very beginning. First they said no thorough investigation was needed, and approved the deal. Then came the public outcry. Now the Administration is supposedly conducting a ``thorough investigation.'' But it is a meaningless gesture--the deal was finalized already.

And before the so-called investigation even begins, President Bush has already made up his mind. On Tuesday, President Bush said: ``My position hasn't changed.'' So much for an objective investigation.

This is not a 45-day investigation. It's just a 45-day stalling period while the Administration hopes the American people will forget about this problem. But we don't forget what happened on September 11-- and we won't forget how the Administration tried to rubber-stamp this deal.

My constituents are alarmed. And unfortunately, the Bush administration hasn't displayed the competence that could restore public confidence. We can't afford to wait 45 days while the Administration stalls. The time to protect our constituents is now.

I urge my colleagues to support my bill, which will give local ports the power to protect the American people.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.