Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) today submitted the following statement on H.R. 4954, Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act conference report.  Smith was an original cosponsor of the bill, which passed the House early this morning by a vote of 409 to 2:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support the conference report on H.R. 4954, the SAFE Port Act.  This bipartisan legislation makes critical improvements to strengthen our domestic and international security efforts and provides the resources necessary to detect tampered cargo before it enters our ports.  Passage of the SAFE Port Act today is vital to our national security.

“For Washington state, the SAFE Port Act will bring greater regional coordination, new security grants, increased Customs personnel for Puget Sound and development of radiation detection equipment that is both modern and appropriate for the Port of Tacoma’s increased rail capacity. 

“The SAFE Port Act also takes important steps to plan for and immediately recover from any incidents on our docks.  With the increased role of western ports like the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Seattle in our global economy, we must ensure the free flow of commerce.

“Passage of the SAFE Port Act will help protect our communities, our critical infrastructure and our homeland.  The SAFE Port Act will move America in the right direction.”

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