At Hearing, Cantwell Questions Dept. of Homeland Security on Port Security

At Hearing, Cantwell Questions Dept. of Homeland Security on Port Security

Senator emphasizes need to address security gaps, asks for clarification of security review behind massive port deal

Tuesday, during a Commerce Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) pressed Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Jackson about security at U.S. ports. At the hearing, Cantwell questioned Deputy Secretary Jackson and other officials about port security funding, locks and seals on cargo containers, background checks on port workers, and the screening of incoming containers for nuclear materials, both upon their arrival in the U.S. and before they depart foreign ports.

In the hearing, Cantwell explained to Jackson, "I'll tell you where my constituents are. They want to know why we spend billions of dollars on Star Wars defense, and yet we don't have the security to guarantee that there's not going to be a nuclear device in a cargo container that comes to the Port of Seattle."

Cantwell, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee in charge of the Coast Guard, has long worked to improve port security, and recently joined technology and security experts at the Port of Seattle to gather new ideas to keep America's harbors safe.

"We cannot rest in our work to secure our borders, infrastructure, transportation systems, or natural resources," said Cantwell, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. "All of these critical elements come together at our ports, and we need to make sure our ports are as secure as possible. Right now, we, as a nation, are not doing enough. We must improve security throughout a maritime system rife with weak points and gaping security holes. We must assess the true efficacy of the tools and procedures currently in place at our ports. We must take concrete steps to make sure all cargo coming to the United States is secure before it even enters our waters, and we must make sure our international partners have strict security standards and a way to enforce them."

Cantwell also asked about the recent deal to hand operations at six major U.S. ports over to Dubai Ports World, a business owned by the United Arab Emirates. On Monday, reports surfaced that intelligence gaps identified by the Coast Guard made it difficult to assess potential security threats posed by the deal. Last week, Cantwell joined Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee Chairwoman Olympia Snowe (R-ME) in calling on the Coast Guard to explain to Congress its recommendation on the deal.

"In reexamining the Dubai Ports World acquisition, we learned just yesterday that the Coast Guard's security analysis revealed so many intelligence gaps that they were unable to conduct an accurate assessment of the overall deal," said Cantwell. "This is troubling, especially after repeated assurances from the administration that this deal had no impact on national security."

At the hearing, Cantwell asked Deputy Secretary Jackson to identify who made the decision at the Department of Homeland Security to approve the deal, and what measures the Department took to resolve the Coast Guard's concerns. Cantwell's questioning followed a statement Monday night by the Coast Guard saying the concerns had been resolved or overstated. However, no details were provided as to how the concerns were addressed.

http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=251974&&days=30&