Washington - U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today offered an amendment requiring Homeland Security officials to develop a plan with yearly benchmarks that leads to 100 percent scanning of cargo containers entering U.S. ports. This amendment builds upon the framework of the SAFE Port Act, which currently requires the Department of Homeland Security to report key insights from the pilot program currently underway at six ports. Menendez said scanning anything less than 100 percent of cargo containers is woefully inadequate and is a reckless security policy.
"Because of the proactive security procedures here in the Capitol complex, my chief-of-staff has to be scanned every morning before he is allowed into our office building," Menendez said. "Yet Homeland Security officials insist on taking a passive security policy regarding our ports. Our nation's port security policy has devolved into nothing more than algorithms - which are a sophisticated form of 'eenie-meenie-miney-moe.' I have yet to hear a persuasive argument for why we should not be scanning every cargo container entering our ports - and I will keep fighting until that is our homeland security policy."
The Menendez amendment would expand reporting requirements by calling on the Homeland Security Department to submit a plan for achieving 100 percent scanning of cargo before it reaches U.S. ports. The amendment adds to the reporting requirements already in place from the SAFE Port Act. The amendment ensures American officials continue to stay focused on improving cargo scanning policies at U.S. ports. It pushes the Department of Homeland Security to show Congress it is making a concerted effort to implement 100 percent scanning procedures.
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