For Immediate Release | Contact: Reid Cherlin | |||
April 26, 2006 | 202-225-5635 | |||
Once Again, Republicans Back Out of |
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Homeland Security majority votes down amendment to scan 100 percent of shipping containers
The amendment, offered by Congressman Ed Markey, is based on the S.O.S Act, written by Congressman Nadler, Leader Pelosi, and Congressman James Oberstar, and is identical to an amendment passed by Congressman Nadler in the House Transportation Committee earlier this month. Wal-Mart and other big businesses have been lobbying against 100-percent scanning, alleging that it will slow their massive import operations. Nadler, Markey, Leader Pelosi, and Congressman Oberstar have led the Democratic push to adopt 100-percent scanning, contending that the only real threat to commerce is the chance that a nuclear weapon could be smuggled into an American port. “The Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee showed their cards today in rejecting the Markey Amendment,” Congressman Nadler said. “They’d rather look after big business than shore up security at our ports. It’s clear that we won’t be safe until we know the contents of every container that ships for our ports. If this Congressional Majority is unwilling to make 100-percent scanning our policy, so be it. Democrats will.” “Today, House Republicans turned their backs on the lessons at the heart of the 9/11 tragedy,” Congressman Markey said. “They struck down an amendment which would close a dangerous loophole that remains in our port security by blocking my amendment which would provide 100-percent scanning of all cargo containers before they arrive at The amendment was offered to H.R. 4954, a bill to enhance funding for scanning of so-called high-risk containers, but that would, in practice, allow a great many containers to enter the ### |
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