Menendez Blasts Senate Vote for "Status Quo" on Port Security

MENENDEZ BLASTS SENATE VOTE FOR ‘STATUS QUO' ON PORT SECURITY

Ninety-five percent of cargo containers will remain un-scanned, Republicans vote down ‘real' security reform at ports

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today released a statement following the party-line vote to defeat his port security amendment that would have required a plan for scanning 100 percent of cargo containers entering our country. The Senate voted in favor of legislation that continues the current practice of scanning only five percent of cargo containers entering America.

"It is inconceivable to me that President Bush and the Republican Congress can talk about providing real security for the American people, yet insist on only scanning five percent of cargo containers entering our country," Menendez said. "Today I called on the Bush administration to provide a real plan for how they would protect our ports by scanning 100 percent of the cargo that enters our country. Unfortunately, that call was met with partisan, camouflage legislation designed to confuse the American people about what is really happening at our ports. The Senate Republicans crafted legislation designed to cover their shameful vote on this critical issue.

"The American people would be horrified to know that the Bush administration trusts algorithms and a manifest on a clipboard as opposed to scanning the true contents of cargo containers. Today's vote by the Senate Republicans was a disservice to the American people and to the sincere pursuit of protecting our homeland."

http://menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=262964&&