Menendez and Clinton: Ban Foreign Control of Ports

Menendez and Clinton: Ban Foreign Control of Ports

Here's the press release…

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE …

MENENDEZ, CLINTON INTRODUCE BILL TO BAN FOREIGN GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF U.S.
PORTS Lautenberg, Boxer and Nelson join bill blocking Dubai deal

WASHINGTON – United States Senators Robert Menendez and Hillary Rodham
Clinton, joined by Senators Frank R. Lautenberg, Barbara Boxer and Bill Nelson,
today introduced legislation to ban companies owned by foreign governments from
controlling operations at U.S. ports. The bill would block the pending sale
of U.S. port operations to Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the government
of the United Arab Emirates.

Menendez and Clinton introduced the legislation after the Bush administration
failed to reverse the controversial approval of the pending sale of operations
at six major U.S. ports, including the port of New York and New Jersey, to Dubai
Ports World. While the administration has agreed to a 45-day review of the transaction,
it appears that once the sale closes on March 2, the administration may lose
its legal authority to block it.

“Lawmakers from all parts of the country and of every political stripe
called on President Bush to reverse course on this deal to outsource control
of our ports to a foreign government,” Menendez said. “Instead he
chose stall tactics that only mask his administration’s plan to move full
speed ahead with this sale. Since the president won’t act to keep our
ports safe, we will.”

“In the post-9/11 world, we cannot afford to surrender our port operations
to foreign governments,” Clinton said. “Port security is national
security and national security is port security. Our legislation will stop foreign
governments from managing, controlling, or owning U.S. port operations.”

“As terrorists continue to plot and plan attacks against the United States,
we can't afford to let foreign governments have access to the most sensitive
information about our port operations,” said Lautenberg. “We can't
trust the Bush Administration to protect our ports, so Congress needs to pass
this bill.”

“Common sense dictates that in this post-9/11 world, foreign countries
should not run our ports or other infrastructure,” said Boxer. “The
fact that we have to fight for this wise policy is mind boggling.”

Dubai Ports World has announced plans to buy P&O Ports, the company that
runs commercial operation at ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans,
Miami and Philadelphia, as well as other U.S. cities. The transaction was reviewed
and approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS),
a committee made up of representatives of different federal departments and
agencies.

The legislation includes several provisions geared toward increasing accountability
and transparency in reviewing foreign investment in the U.S. The Ports Security
Act requires the federal government to solicit public comments while investigating
proposed foreign investment in the U.S. The bill also includes specific provisions
requiring Congressional, state and local government notification.

The bill also requires the president to conduct a study on existing foreign
government-owned companies operating in US ports, and make recommendations to
the Congress on how to appropriately handle any resulting national security
risks within 30 days after the law’s enactment.

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