The Dusty Dog

Scandalous Issue of National Security and Ports

Republicans are a really disgusting bunch of pandering, self-serving, and dangerous people. Particularly, those who were elected by the American people as being tough on national security. What a joke! But, I, for one, am not laughing. No one should be laughing. People who bought into their bullshit ought to just come right out and and apologize for admitting that they were duped by these selfish scumbuckets republicans who belong to and fight for the Republican controlled Congress (not to exclude the Judiciary and the Executive branches, as well). As these bastards have been selling their snake oil, they've also been selling the American people down the river, by compromising our environment, our health care, and yes boys and girls, our national security. Why am I not surprised?

As I was surfing throught the web yesterday, I came across this article that made me want to scream. I want to start shouting out in horror, disbelief and frustration. It seems that, according to Bring It On, their quick check of house resolutions over the past two years have found that there are a number of bills lanquishing in committees regarding national security and port security. Why, pray tell, are they languishing? Seems that all of these bills, yes ALL of these bills were submitted by democratic members of Congress, but without any power to bring them up for debate, they just sit and rot on shelves and desks. This is scandalous.

Instead, the Congressional majority bring up for debate, vote upon, and of course, pass such legislation as that which requires the food industry to remove warning labels from food items, then forbids states from adding their own warning labels. Why, you ask? Because some shithead dickhead republican cockroach, maybe a few of them, have family members in the food industry who will make huge profits from this really harmful bill. The bill, H.R. 4167, is called "The National Uniformity of Food Act", and a good discussion of it can be found here.

Back to the subject of this article, I was outraged that the pandering repubs are jumping faster than rats off the Titanic to distance themselves from the Dubai ports scandal. But, I do not want to re-write the article. Instead, I am quoting most of Bring It On's article here:

No doubt, the Republicans in the House are serious about protecting our ports….from the electorate. Since the story broke, they have sponsored no less than 6 House resolutions ( H.R. 4807, H.R. 4814, H.R. 4817, H.R. 4833, H.R. 4839 and H.R. 4842) to ban DPW from taking control of the port terminals. All six resolutions target the sale of ports or port operations to foreign entities.

To bad they have such an abysmal record on legislation written to protect the ports themselves. Of all the resolutions proposed since this charade started, only one focused on a more fundamental problem - the porous security of our nation’s ports. That resolution was sponsored by Rep. Edward J. Markey from Massachusetts. Yes he is a Democrat.

That’s not all. A quick check of House Resolutions over the last two years show several Democrat sponsored port security bills introduced:

1. 1. HR 1731.
To improve the security of the Nation’s ports by providing Federal grants to support Area Maritime Transportation Security Plans and to address vulnerabilities in port areas identified in approved vulnerability assessments or by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Sponsor: Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] (introduced 4/20/2005)

2. 2. H.CON.RES.428
Title: Recommending that Congress not provide funds for fiscal year 2005 for the deployment of ground-based, strategic, mid-course, ballistic missile defense system components that have not met operational testing requirements and, instead, provide needed funding for programs designed to keep America’s ports secure from terrorist attacks.
Sponsor: Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] (introduced 5/17/2004) Cosponsors (None)

3. H.R.2376
Title: To prevent and respond to terrorism and crime at or through ports.
Sponsor: Rep Millender-McDonald, Juanita [CA-37] (introduced 6/5/2003) Cosponsors (None)

4. 4. H.R.3456
Title: To deter and punish terrorism and crime at United States ports, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Bell, Chris [TX-25] (introduced 11/6/2003) Cosponsors (None)

5. H.R.3788
Title: To amend title 46, United States Code, to modify requirements applicable to the National Maritime Transportation Security Plan with respect to ensuring that the flow of cargo through United States ports is reestablished after a transportation security incident, to require the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to develop and implement a secure long-range automated vessel tracking system, to aid maritime security, efficiency, and safety, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] (introduced 2/10/2004) Cosponsors (None)

6. H.R.4355
Title: To strengthen port security by establishing an improved container security regime, to expand on the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, to strengthen the Coast Guard port security mission, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] (introduced 5/12/2004) Cosponsors (38)

All of the resolutions are sponsored by Democrats. All of the resolutions are designed to improve port safety. All of them are still lingering in committee hell, never to see the light of day.

This country is in the crapper right now, folks. It really is. If some modicum of sanity is not brought back very soon, we're flushed. It's that simple.

posted by Dusty Dog at 3/12/2006