Last year, along with Mr. Oberstar, I introduced the Sail Only if Scanned Act. We tried to insert into the SAFE Port Act, but the Republican leadership opposed this provision with near party-line votes in committee and on the floor.

But now, Title V of this bill will implement the Sail Only if Scanned Act, and require that every container be scanned and sealed with a tamper-proof seal before being placed on a ship bound for the U.S. We phase in the requirement, within 3 years for large ports, 5 years for small. But it must be done.

We must be serious about protecting ourselves against the terrorists. Studies are not enough. This bill finally takes the threat seriously.

The cost to scan each container is only about $6.50. The startup cost to purchase and install the scanning equipment world wide is about $1.5 billion. Foreign ports can recover the cost by charging about $20 per container. Given the fact that it costs about $4,000 to ship a container from Asia to the United States and a container might hold $50,000 or $100,000 worth of goods, that is a drop in the bucket.

This bill also includes critical provisions to strengthen aviation security, to distribute homeland security grants based on risk, and it will strengthen the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program to secure nuclear materials in the former Soviet Union. For years, some of us have been pushing to accelerate counter-proliferation programs. This bill will go a long way toward securing loose nuclear materials around the world.

I congratulate the new leadership of this House for pressing this bill. I urge all my colleagues to vote for this and finally implement the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and make this country safer.

[Begin Insert]

Madam. Speaker, for the last four years, I have worked to insure that no shipping container should be put on a ship bound for the U.S. until it is scanned for radiation and density, and sealed with a tamper-proof seal. The 9/11 Commission insisted on better port security measures.

Last year, along with Chairman OBERSTAR, I introduced the Sail Only if Scanned (SOS) Act. We then tried to insert it into the SAFE Port Act. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership opposed this provision, with near party-line votes in committee and on the floor.

But now, Title V of this bill will implement the Sail Only if Scanned Act, and require that every container be scanned and sealed with a tamper-proof seal before being placed on a ship bound for the U.S. We phase in the requirement--within three years for large ports, five years for small. But it must be done.

We know our port security system is vulnerable. The 9/11 Commission said the opportunities to do harm are as great, or greater, in maritime transportation than in our aviation system.

Luckily, the Democratic Leadership is willing to follow through on our promise to scan 100 percent of shipping containers so that we can prevent nuclear weapons from being smuggled into the United States through our ports. We recognize that it is time for Congress to catch up to the rest of the World. In Hong Kong, the Integrated Container Inspection System (ICIS) pilot program has successfully achieved 100 percent scanning, proving that the technology works without slowing down commerce. Many other ports are already starting to purchase this equipment, and many in the shipping industry realize that it is in their best interest to secure their cargo before, G-d forbid, someone uses our ports to cause harm, and the system has to be completely shut down.

We must be serious about protecting ourselves against the terrorists. Studies are not enough. This bill, finally takes the threat seriously.

The cost to institute this system is minimal. It could be folded into the cost of doing business and the consumer would never even notice. The cost to scan each container is only about $6.50. The startup cost to purchase and install the scanning equipment worldwide is about $1.5 billion. Foreign ports can recover the cost by charging about $20 per container. This is a drop in the bucket given that it costs about $4,000 to ship a container from Asia to the United States, and that container might hold $50,000-$100,000 or more worth of goods. We waste billions of dollars in Iraq and on other Defense Programs, such as ``Star Wars,'' but we can protect ourselves against this very real threat to our port security system with virtually no cost to the U.S. Government.

We must not wait to impose security measures until containers reach the United States.