Gauging American Port Security Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. HAHN. Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by recognizing and thanking Chairman King and Ranking Member Thompson for their continued leadership on this incredibly important issue.

The lessons of 9/11 have taught us we must be continuously vigilant and proactive in seeking out and preventing our country's most pressing threats. That's why, after 9/11, this Congress strengthened what proved to be one of our Nation's biggest security threats up to that point: aviation security. And while I applaud the great strides we've made in aviation security, we have not made the same level of improvements in port security.

This was such a priority for me when I came to Congress last summer that, at my very first Homeland Security hearing focusing on the 9/11 Commission's recommendations to Congress, I asked Lee Hamilton, the vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission, What should Congress be doing to improve security at our Nation's ports? He responded by saying, My judgment would be that we have not focused enough on ports.

This lack of focus on our ports not only jeopardizes our national security, but our economic security as well. The U.S. ports remain one of our country's greatest economic resources, as they provide our Nation with the link to the rest of the world and the global economy. Each day, U.S. ports move both imports and exports, totaling some $3.8 billion worth of goods, through all 50 States. Additionally, ports move 99 percent of overseas cargo volume by weight and generate $3.95 trillion in international trade.

However, port security does much more than protect American commerce; it also protects American jobs. According to the American Association of Port Authorities, the U.S. port industry supports 13.3 million jobs and accounts for more than $649 billion in personal income. That's why I was pleased to cofound the bipartisan Congressional PORTS Caucus with my good friend and fellow alumnus, Ted Poe, in order to ensure that Congress recognizes the vital role ports play in our national economy and the importance of keeping them competitive and secure.

Despite all this, ports have failed to garner the attention I think they deserve. For instance, in the U.S., tens of thousands of ships each year make over 50,000 calls on U.S. ports. The volume of traffic gives terrorists opportunities to smuggle themselves or their weapons into the United States with little risk of detection. According to a recent CRS report, a 10- to 20-kiloton weapon detonated in a major seaport would kill 50,000 to 1 million people and would result in direct property damage of $50 billion to $500 billion, losses due to trade disruption of $100 billion to $200 billion, and indirect costs of $300 billion to $1.2 trillion.

Congress attempted to address this issue by passing the SAFE Port Act in 2006 and the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, which specifically required that 100 percent of the cargo coming into our ports be scanned by this summer. Unfortunately, DHS has made little progress in achieving this goal and does not plan to implement it. In fact, we've recently learned that DHS has only been scanning about 3 percent to 5 percent of all the cargo imported into our United States.

Now, while the feasibility of scanning 100 percent of incoming cargo may be a legitimate concern, there certainly needs to be improvement from where we are now. Whether it's increasing the number of Customs and Border Protection officers or investing in proven cargo scanning technology, there needs to be a plan for effectively and efficiently scanning our Nation's cargo.

Another major vulnerability is the threat posed to vessels during their voyage at sea. For example, cargo is often checked either before it's shipped or after it reaches our shore. However, there has not been much light shed on the specific threats that exist between a vessel's point of origin and its point of destination.

We also need to know more information about how fast a port could recover in the event of a terrorist attack or a national disaster if that did occur at one of our ports.

Without resolving these issues, we risk putting our economy and the safety of the American people at risk.

As a Member whose district borders one of the largest port complexes in the country, I understand the unique security challenges that ports pose to our economic and national security. My district borders the port complex of Los Angeles-Long Beach, which is responsible for approximately 44 percent of all the goods that flow into this country and 20 percent of the Nation's GDP.

During a 10-day lockout in 2002, which arose because of a dispute between labor and management officials, closure of the west coast ports cost the United States between $1 billion to $2 billion a day. If an attack were to occur there, it would be economically debilitating not only for my district, but for the entire country, as well.

While DHS has made a number of positive steps in strengthening port security and resiliency, the lack of attention on these vital issues creates a huge problem for securing our ports. We cannot begin to come up with an effective solution without first knowing the extent of the actual problem.

The economic importance of our Nation's ports, combined with the existing port security loopholes, is why I introduced the GAPS Act. This bill will require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a classified study of the potential gaps in port security and ensure that the Department develops a comprehensive plan for addressing these vulnerabilities. By focusing on the specific dangers that threaten our port security, we can begin, I believe, to develop effective solutions to ensure that our Nation is prepared.

Again, I want to thank Chairman King and Ranking Member Thompson for their leadership on this issue, my Congressional PORTS Caucus cofounder, Ted Poe, for recognizing the importance of our ports.

I would like to point out that this bill went through regular order and is supported by both Democrats and Republicans on an issue that I know we all care about. I urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan legislation.

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