Chuck Schumer: “I want to make clear what the amendment seeks to do because there have been some concerns raised by the American…”

“I want to make clear what the amendment seeks to do because there have been some concerns raised by the American Trucking Association and some truck firms. To address those concerns, which I did not think were real, I modified the amendment to make that clear. Here is what the amendment does not do: It does not require that members of the trucking industry purchase GPS systems for their truck fleets. It does not require trucking companies to present plans to TSA of current truck routes throughout the country. My amendment simply provides the TSA with the resources to begin looking into how we go about monitoring what has been shown to us as a vulnerability within our existing plan to secure our country from terrorist threats. I know the ATA, which has resisted any regulation of the trucking industry, has raised some concerns, but their concerns are either incorrect or shortsighted. My amendment provides the TSA with flexibility and much needed funds to address truck security and has none of the mandates or high costs that have been talked about.”