As Key Vote Nears, City Congressmembers to Call for
Passage of S.O.S. Act

BROOKLYN, NY – Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Congressman Gregory Meeks, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez today called for the passage of a bill to mandate the scanning of 100 percent of U.S.-bound shipping containers at their port of origin.  Speaking at the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn, the Congressmembers emphasized that the only way to get serious about port security is to scan all containers before they sail for the U.S. 

Nadler and Maloney have introduced the Sail Only if Scanned (S.O.S.) Act, H.R. 4899, which would ensure that every shipping container arriving in the United States contained only its intended cargo and had not been tampered with en route. The bill is nearing a vote in the House Homeland Security Committee, where it will be offered as an amendment to a broader ports bill that will move to the House floor.  Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer have both cosponsored the S.O.S. Act.

“The American people are demanding that their government get serious about port security, but as long as we allow containers to arrive at our ports uninspected, we are failing them,” Congressman Nadler said.  “The prospect of a nuclear weapon being snuck into one of our ports is all too real.  It’s time for Congress to act decisively.”

“Right now, our government screens barely a fraction of the cargo that enters our country,” Congresswoman Maloney said.  “No one can claim that we are doing all we can to protect America. I'm proud to co-sponsor the S.O.S. Act.”

“The Nadler-Oberstar bill would put an end to a disgraceful and embarrassing situation that currently exists,” Congressman Meeks said.  “As we stand here, only 6 percent of containers coming into U.S. ports are scanned.  In other words, four and a half years after 9/11, a nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapon could be brought into the United States on 94 percent of the containers coming through our ports.  That’s taking a totally unnecessary risk.”

“Though the Bush Administration has not hesitated to jeopardize civil liberties by pursuing invasive policies that effectively enable spying on American citizens, it has failed to adequately fund basic security measures such as those for screening air cargo and protecting our ports,” Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez said.

Congressman Anthony Weiner, an original cosponsor of H.R 4899, released the following statement Thursday: “The most intelligent place to screen cargo is at their departure point.  This legislation keeps the terror at bay – literally.”

In order to ensure that every container is checked for radiological or other hazardous substances, the H.R. 4899 would mandate:

·         That all containers be scanned using the best-available technology, including scanning for radiation and density, before they are loaded onto a ship destined for the United States;

·         That the scans be reviewed by American security personnel before the container is loaded; and

·         That the containers be sealed with a device that indicates if the container has been tampered with in transit, and that would notify U.S. officials of a breach before the container enters the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.

The cost of implementing this security system is minimal.  In fact, the estimated cost to scan a container is only $6.50 – a drop in the bucket, given that it costs about $4,000 to ship a container from Asia to the United States.  

###