Kendrick Meek: “I want to be very quick and within a minute I would like to share with the American public something that is very, very…”

“I want to be very quick and within a minute I would like to share with the American public something that is very, very important. The information that you are receiving here this evening and the amendment that the Democrats will have tomorrow to not only put teeth but to make sure we have real homeland security is very, very important. As we look at our ports and the Coast Guard, I think we need to go far beyond great speeches in front of Coast Guard cutters, and talking about how we support our men and women riding in those vessels and fighting in helicopters. I would say that with any major incident in our ports, not only will we experience a large loss of life, but we would also experience quite an interruption in commerce. It is very, very important that the American people understand that the Coast Guard says they need a billion dollars alone this year to secure our ports. We have individuals working at our ports now that do not have proper credentials as it relates to some of the shipping companies. We know we are very vulnerable in our ports, and I think it is important that we make sure that this administration understands that it is more than just giving speeches, that it is important that we put our money where our mouth is and make sure that we are standing on behalf of homeland security.”