Haley Stevens: “today I introduce a bipartisan transportation security bill, which is a joint Commerce and Banking Committee bipartisan…”

“today I introduce a bipartisan transportation security bill, which is a joint Commerce and Banking Committee bipartisan package co-sponsored by Senators Inouye, Shelby, Sarbanes, and 37 of our colleagues. This bill would dramatically enhance our Nation's port, rail, and transit security systems. The port and rail provisions of this package are identical to provisions of the transportation security bill, S. 1052, which was reported unanimously by the Commerce Committee last year. The transit provisions of the package are identical to those reported unanimously by the Banking Committee. The events of 9/11 made clear that Congress needed to address the vulnerabilities within the Nation's transportation systems and dramatically increase security measures to protect the essential interstate flow of commerce. Even before 9/11, the Commerce Committee led the Senate's effort to achieve the delicate balance between improved transportation security and the uninterrupted flow of commerce. In the weeks and months following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Commerce Committee developed the Maritime Transportation Security Act, which was signed into law by the President in 2002. The committee later expanded MTSA by developing the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004.…”