FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2006
CONTACT: Jamie Loftus
SENATOR HUTCHISON PORT SECURITY AMENDMENT TO INCREASE CARGO INSPECTORS PASSES SENATE
WASHINGTON, DC -- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, today successfully introduced an amendment to the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006 that adds an additional 275 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at U.S. ports. The amendment, which was approved by a vote of 97-0, raises the total number of new officers called for in the bill to 1,000.
“Port security is an integral part of our national defense and economic security. Increasing the number of Customs and Border Protection officers will significantly improve our ability to inspect the millions of containers that enter the U.S. annually,” Sen. Hutchison said. “An attack on the Port of Houston, or other port with petro-chemical facilities, could interrupt our energy supply, cripple our economy and threaten millions of lives.”
Sen. Hutchison has been a leader on port security issues. Key provisions of the Intermodal Shipping Container Security Act she introduced in the 108th and 109th Congress have been incorporated into the Port Security Improvement Act currently before the Senate. Those key provisions include random inspections of containers and the establishment of minimum standards and procedures for securing containers in transit to the U.S.
In 2002, Sen. Hutchison introduced the Comprehensive Seaport and Container Security Act with Senators Feinstein, Kyl and Snowe which called for container seals and tracking numbers for goods being shipped to the U.S. It also called for increased inspections of containers at foreign facilities and a plan to track containers and shipments imported into the United States.
#