May 5, 2006

Pryce Votes to Bolster Port Security

Washington, DC —Today, Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington) voted in support of the Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act (H.R. 4954), legislation designed to better protect U.S. ports and strengthen our nation’s port security.

“Today, we took appropriate and responsible steps to further protect our nation from potential threats reaching our ports,” said Pryce. “Since 9/11, Congress has made securing our ports a priority, and we have invested millions and pledged billions more to give Americans peace of mind that what is shipped into our country will cause us no harm. H.R. 4954 is a comprehensive, responsible approach to ensuring the security of our citizens.”

During consideration of the bill, Pryce voted against a procedural motion that, if realized, would have stifled trade, cost jobs, and increased the cost of goods to consumers. Following the vote, Pryce said, “Our bill ensures the physical inspection and scanning of high risk containers before they reach our shores, and without paralyzing port commerce. By defeating this effort, we have protected our $120 million federal investment in Rickenbacker to create a new intermodal cargo distribution hub and preserved the 20,000 jobs projected for it.”

The bill will increase funding for port security by $7.4 billion over the next six years, and calls for a study to improve the security of inland ports such as Rickenbacker.

  Back