Currently, 95 percent of all non-North American U.S. trade moves by sea, concentrated mostly in a handful of ports. Only about five percent of the cargo containers that enter the U.S. are screened. Any one of these containers – the vast majority of which do not have tamper-resistant seals -- could hold a deadly threat - a disease hidden in a shipment of foreign fruit, radioactive material hidden in frozen seafood, or an explosive device.

Congressional Democrats led the fight to tighten security on our coasts and at our ports after September 11th. But the Administration refuses to provide the resources needed to do the job right.

We should provide the men and women who protect our coasts and our ports with the resources they need to keep us safe.

Making our Coast Guard stronger. The Coast Guard has been traditionally underfunded and short on personnel. Its plans to upgrade ships and patrol aircraft are five years behind schedule. Democrats want to increase the Coast Guard by 15 percent and upgrade the fleet of ships and patrol aircraft in half the time of current plans.

Implementing security plans for ports. Ports are developing plans to provide the security necessary in the post-September 11th world, such as installing cameras, building fences, and posting guards. Due to lack of funding and commitment, many ports are struggling to get these changes in place, leaving them extremely vulnerable. We must fully secure our ports.

Screening cargo. Millions of cargo containers enter the U.S. every year. But currently, only about five percent of these containers are ever screened to determine their contents. The Bush administration has not provided enough personnel or equipment to ensure that these containers are free of weapons of mass destruction. Democrats want Customs inspectors permanently stationed at high-risk ports abroad and the installation of systems to track every container and ship entering U.S. ports, so that 100 percent of cargo entering the country is screened.