Washington, DC-  Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and a strong proponent of 100% screening of cargo entering our nation’s ports, made the following statement in response to the news that twenty-two stowaways passed through the Port of Seattle undetected in a cargo container: 

“The discovery of twenty-two stowaways in a cargo container at the Port of Seattle underscores the need for the inspection of 100 percent of  U.S. bound cargo containers at ports overseas, before the cargo reaches our shores.  We were fortunate that these individuals appear to be stowaways, not suicidal terrorists.  Last week, I offered an amendment during consideration of a port security bill in the Homeland Security Committee that would require inspection of all the cargo at foreign ports that is headed to our country.  Every Democrat voted for the amendment, but every Republican opposed it, and it was defeated. 

“The Bush Administration’s bungling of the Dubai ports deal exposed dangerous security loopholes at our nation’s ports that leave our country vulnerable to an attack that uses a cargo container at a terrorist tool.  This incident at the Port of Seattle is a wake-up call to the Bush Administration, which should immediately drop its opposition to 100 percent inspection of U.S. bound cargo at ports overseas.  We must not wait until terrorists exploit this huge gap in our homeland defense to put an end to this dangerous loophole.  The time to act is now, and I call on the Bush Administration to support ongoing Democratic efforts to require inspection of 100 percent of the cargo before it is shipped to our country.”   

In addition to his work on increasing cargo screening, Rep. Markey is the author of legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security to impose additional security requirements for shipments of extremely hazardous materials, including re-routing of such shipments around areas that raise particular security concerns whenever possible.

For more information on Rep. Markey’s work to provide homeland security work check out: www.house.gov/markey