Carter Discussed Security Concerns at Port of Houston Monday

Washington, DC, Oct 13, 2006 - Representative John Carter (TX-31) today praised President Bush for signing into law the Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) PortAct. The President’s signing of this bill comes just days after Congressman Carter toured the Port of Houston and discussed homeland security and economic development issues with port authority and security executives.

The SAFE Act is a comprehensive measure that will help secure our nation’s ports and prevent threats from reaching the United States. This law implements procedures to tighten security at our nation’s ports, increase cargo security, and defend our nation from nuclear threats.

“In a post-9/11 world, we must ensure that we continue to be vigilant in our homeland security efforts—at our ports, our borders, and our skies. Just this week I visited the Port of Houston and discussed a number of port security concerns that the SAFE Port Act addresses. This Act is critical to keeping our nation safe by securing our ports and stopping threats before they reach American soil,” Congressman Carter said. “Our coastline is 12,000 miles, and our nation’s ports handle approximately 11 million shipping containers each year. I commend President Bush for swiftly taking action to protect our nation’s ports.”

The House passed the SAFE Port Act on September 30, 2006, by a vote of 409 – 2.

Major provisions of the legislation include:

Strengthening Security at U.S. Ports

The legislation authorizes $400 million per year for a Port Security Grant Program to help protect U.S. ports from terrorist attacks and improve their ability to respond in the event of such an attack. The SAFE Port Act requires 98 percent of inbound cargo containers to be scanned for radiation and requires guidelines to be established to govern such inspections. The bill also establishes joint operations centers at ports to bring together local, state, and federal law enforcement.

Preventing Dangerous Cargo From Reaching Our Country

The bill establishes three pilot programs to study the feasibility of screening 100 percent of cargo bound for the United States at foreign ports, rather than after its arrival in the United States. The bill also strengthens and improves the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, a public-private partnership designed to improve cargo security and information sharing. Finally, the legislation improves the Automated Targeting System, which is designed to identify dangerous cargo before it reaches our country.

Protecting Cargo En Route to the United States

The legislation requires the secretary of homeland security to establish standards for securing 100 percent of containers bound for the United States within 180 days and requires that these standards be fully implemented within two years. The bill also strengthens cargo security by improving the International Trade Data System, which links all federal commercial data and establishes a single system for private companies to submit required information.

Improving Our Ability to Detect Nuclear Weapons

This legislation contains multiple provisions to strengthen our ability to detect nuclear and radiological terrorism. The bill improves information sharing among law enforcement, the intelligence community, emergency response personnel, and other relevant organizations and authorizes the research, development, and rigorous inspection of nuclear and radiological detection systems.