Senators Prepare Legislation to Stop Ports Deal
Grumbling on Capitol Hill continues over the takeover of terminal operations at some American ports by state-owned Dubai Ports World. Senators from both parties have offered legislation that would allow Congress to stop the deal after the 45-day review period.
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Congress is also investigating that ports deal, and Senators have proposed legislation that would give them power to block it, depending on what turns up during a review. Lawmakers from both parties say the ports deal emphasizes a larger problem: a shortfall in spending on port security. Here's NPR's Brian Naylor.
BRIAN NAYLOR reporting:
If giving the Bush Administration 45 days to review the proposed sale of port facilities was intended to ease opposition to the deal, its authors might want to try something else. With polls showing a majority of Americans against the sale, politicians on both sides of the aisle remain unhappy and are threatening to act.
The latest plan is the product of a meeting of a bipartisan group of Senators yesterday. They've sent a letter to Congressional leaders seeking to, in essence, review the 45-day review. If lawmakers are still not mollified, says New York Democrat Charles Schumer, one of the group, they'll try to stop the sale.
Senator CHARLES SCHUMER (Democrat, New York): Should we feel that security needs are not taken into account, that the Senate and the House get the right of disapproval, which is Constitutionally allowed.
NAYLOR: One of the latest criticisms of the deal is based on a report in The Jerusalem Post that the holding company of Dubai Ports World participates in the Arab boycott of Israel. Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey says he doesn't like the company DP World keeps.
Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG (Democrat, New Jersey): The fact is that they're a party, whether directly or indirectly, they are party to a boycott which is illegal under all kinds of world agreements, international agreements, against Israel, and still sticking by that.
NAYLOR: Democrats have been jumping on the ports deal in one of the rare opportunities they feel they have the upper hand on the Bush Administration on the national security matter. Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware said the administration's entire homeland security approach has been abysmal.
Senator JOSEPH BIDEN (Delaware, Democrat): We need a massive reprioritization of the expenditures of federal monies. This is not a shop that is all-prepared to guard America against an attack. We are abysmally, abysmally negligent in the way in which we have dealt with homeland security.
NAYLOR: But it's not only Democrats who are raising their voices. During a meeting yesterday with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine took the administration to task for inadequately funding homeland security.
Senator SUSAN COLLINS (Republican, Maine): Regrettably the administration's budget short changes port security. The budget request folds port security in with all other transportation and critical infrastructure grants, thus providing no assurance of funding to strengthen port security.
NAYLOR: Collins is co-sponsoring a measure that would spend an additional $400 million on port security. Lawmakers seem anxious to provide additional port security funding and may include it on an emergency funding bill, providing money for the war in Iraq and hurricane relief.
Brian Naylor, NPR News, the capital.
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