Senate leaders agree to take up major port security bill

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, have reached an agreement to allow a major maritime security bill to move forward, paving the way for floor action in September, according to a congressional source.

The bill had been bottled up because it contains provisions that cut across the jurisdictional lines of the two committees.

The source said Collins and Stevens have resolved their differences, and Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has said he will bring the bill to the floor next month.

Sponsored by Collins and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the bill would authorize about $835 million a year for maritime security using existing Customs and Border Protection fees, require a comprehensive strategic plan for supply-chain security, and require the Homeland Security Department to develop a program for quickly resuming maritime commerce in the event of a terrorist attack.

The source added, however, that some final details still might have to be worked out with Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, because the bill involves the use of customs fees. "Finance is in the mix on this, too," the source said.

Momentum for maritime security legislation heightened in Congress earlier this year after Dubai Ports World attempted to take over terminal operations at several major U.S. ports. The controversy prompted a string of hearings in both the House and Senate, in which port and cargo security experts said the nation is vulnerable to a maritime attack.

In early May, the House overwhelmingly passed its version of maritime security legislation. Sponsored by House Homeland Security Economic Security Subcommittee Chairman Dan Lungren, R-Calif., and Intelligence ranking member Jane Harman, D-Calif., the bill would authorize more than $1.3 billion in funding for fiscal 2007, followed by an average of about $840 million each following year through 2012.

During a conference call with reporters Monday, Lungren said the Senate needs to "get to work" on finally passing its maritime security bill so the two chambers can go to conference.

"If I could get somebody to come up with anther Dubai Ports World controversy we might be able to pass this thing in the Senate," he said.

Lungren added that he believes the upcoming anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as the looming November elections, will create enough momentum to get a bill through conference and signed into law this year.

"Perhaps it would be good for those of us in Congress to show our constituents ... that we've actually done something on security in a substantial way," he said.

Both bills would also authorize $400 million per year for a port security grant program. The Bush administration, however, has expressed its opposition to the grant program, making it an issue that would need to be resolved before the president would sign a bill into law.