"The Dubai Ports World debacle lit a fire under Congress to take real action on port security," said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), Ranking Member on the House Intelligence Committee and co-author of the legislation. "Everyone has a stake in our country’s critical infrastructure and everyone depends on the commerce that comes through our ports."

The SAFE Port Act creates a dedicated multi-year funding stream for port security projects. It also directs the Homeland Security Secretary to develop a strategy for cargo and maritime security, including a plan for resumption of trade in the event of an attack at a port.

"We learned a lesson from Katrina," Harman said. "We didn’t plan before, we didn’t respond during and we are still struggling to recover now. A shut-down of West Coast ports would cost between $1 billion and $2 billion per day. This bill rightfully calls for protocols on the continuation of trade in the event of an attack on a U.S. port."

The legislation, and its companion bill now moving through the Senate, establishes security standards for all cargo containers entering the U.S., and authorizes the Container Security Initiative and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs. It also authorizes the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and the Directorate for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs within the Homeland Security Department.

The bill also requires name checks against terrorist and immigration watch lists of all individuals in secure port areas and directs the Homeland Security Secretary to issue a final rule for the Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) by November 15, 2006.