In the last week, the American people have learned that operations at six of our major ports are scheduled to be turned over to Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates. President Bush strongly endorses this deal and has threatened to veto any Congressional legislation aimed at slowing down the deal, or stopping it altogether.

I have recently announced my intention to form the Congressional Ohio River Caucus. The purpose of this caucus will be to help educate Members of Congress on critical matters affecting the Ohio River, such as ways to increase commerce to generate greater economic activity as well as to improve safety at the River's ports and locks and dams. We will use this forum to stress to the Members and stakeholders tasked with security along our inland waterway system, including the Corps of Engineers, that protecting our ports, both sea and inland, is essential for our national security.

I am troubled by the revelations of the past week. This Trojan horse trade policy should not be let through America's most vulnerable gateways. I do not believe that we should surrender the security of America by outsourcing our port operations to foreign countries or interests. I think the billions American taxpayers have been asked to commit to defend our shores ought to profit American workers and American businesses not line the pockets of foreign interests.

It has become increasingly clear that security at our Nation's ports is the "soft underbelly" of our homeland security and bringing in a company owned by a foreign government to manage our ports could only exacerbate this problem.

America is the world's leading maritime trading nation, accounting for 20 percent of the annual world ocean-borne overseas trade, according to the Congressional Research Service. Our maritime infrastructure consists of more than 300 sea and river ports with more than 3,700 cargo and passenger terminals. In 2003, approximately 6,000 commercial ships made and estimated 60,000 U.S. port calls. More than 9 million cargo containers enter our sea ports each year.

And right in our back yard, the Port of Huntington is the Nation's largest inland water port and our seventh largest port overall. Fifty percent of cargo traveling through the Port of Huntington is hazardous and, within the Port District, there are located numerous chemical and petroleum production facilities.

Any disruption at the Port of Huntington, be it terrorist or otherwise, would have devastating effects on the economy and our collective personal safety. First of all, the entire river would be shut down to shipping and there would be no means for the extensive coal resources of our region to reach their intended destinations. Commerce along the Ohio River would come to a screeching halt, energy supplies throughout the Nation would dwindle to alarmingly low levels and the well-being of citizens across the country would be adversely affected.

It is essential we do all we can to protect our ports and the integrity of our waterways system from attacks. Ensuring that the cargo traveling through our ports is secure, protecting the integrity of our ports and the vast quantities of goods that move through them is necessary to protect our homeland and the Nation's economy.

It remains to be seen whether Dubai Ports World will take over operations six of America's largest ports. I believe such a move is contrary to the best interests of our Nation's economic and homeland security. I urge the Bush Administration to heed the warning they are receiving from Congress and revisit their support for this deal. A further and thorough review is in the best interest of America and our safety.