Alcee Hastings: “I voted for this bill in May, and I likely will vote for this conference report. I point out, however, that this bill…”

“I voted for this bill in May, and I likely will vote for this conference report. I point out, however, that this bill could have and should have been much better. If the majority really cared about safety and security and if they cared more than they do about naked partisanship and political advantage, this would be a bill that we could all be proud to pass. For example, Mr. Speaker, when the bill was considered this spring and again now, we were prohibited from considering a Democratic amendment offered by Representatives Nadler, Oberstar, Markey, and others which requires that every shipping container be scanned and sealed before being loaded onto a ship destined for the United States. The scary fact remains that less than 5 percent of all containers coming into the United States through our ports are scanned. I take issue with your conscious decision to block the House from considering proposals which would have, without a doubt, made my constituents and the American people safer.”