Frank Lautenberg: “on September 11, 2001, the longshoremen who work on the docks in Newark, NJ, could see the flames and smoke from the…”

“on September 11, 2001, the longshoremen who work on the docks in Newark, NJ, could see the flames and smoke from the World Trade Center. Many of those dock workers lost a loved one or a friend that day. Of the three thousand people who died, 700 were from New Jersey. I have been to Port Newark many times before--I used to serve as a Commissioner of the Port Authority. This week I went back to Port Newark to tell those workers why I thought it was a bad idea to turn control of their port over to the government of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. I really didn't have to explain it to them. They understood why it is a bad idea--just as 70 percent of the American people understand. Unfortunately, as of yesterday, a company owned by the government of Dubai now controls port operations in Newark--and five other major ports in the United States. This is an outcome we have been trying to prevent. And if Congress had been given any warning, we would have prevented it. Instead, the Bush Administration gave this deal a casual thumbs-up, when it deserved the highest scrutiny. Now the President is telling my constituents in New Jersey--as well as residents of Philadelphia, Baltimore, South Florida and New Orleans--``don't worry.'' But that's not good enough. By rubber stamping this deal, the Bush Administration sold out the Federal Government's ability to object to the deal. Any ``investigation'' at this point is after-the-fact and all for show.…”