Washington, May 4, 2006 -  U.S. Representative John Carter (TX-31) today voted in favor of legislation that will strengthen security at our nation’s ports and help prevent terrorists from harming our country. The Security and Accountability for Every Port Act (SAFE Port Act) is a comprehensive bill that implements a layered security strategy to secure the supply chain from the point of origin to delivery in the United States.

“In a post-9/11 world, we are all-too aware of the vulnerabilities facing our nation. I am proud to support this important legislation that takes significant steps to strengthen security at our nation’s ports, making it more difficult for terrorists to mount an attack,” Congressman Carter said. “Considering 11 million shipping containers pass through U.S. ports annually, the need to protect this point of entry is evident.”

· Require the Department of Homeland Security to deploy nuclear and radiological inspection systems at 22 U.S. ports by the end of fiscal year 2007 and to establish standard inspection procedures for shipping containers;

· Provide $400 million per year to strengthen port security to prevent terrorist attacks; and

· Establish training programs to ensure that our first responders, longshoremen, and port management possess the tools they need to protect our ports.