Political Quotes

“I rise today to address the Dubai Ports World acquisition and the subsequent announcement to transfer operation of U.S. port terminals to a U.S. entity. Last week, my colleague from New York offered an amendment to S. 2349, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006. While the security of our ports is my foremost concern, especially as a Senator representing a State where one of the ports in question is located, I do not believe the time or the vehicle was appropriate for a vote on Senator Schumer's amendment. I have been a vocal critic of this transaction for weeks, but when my colleague's amendment was offered, Dubai Ports World had already resubmitted its application to the Committee on Foreign Investment, CFIUS. A second review of the transaction was pending. Furthermore, I had signed onto a bipartisan letter with Senator Schumer and eight other Members just the week before to the majority and minority leaders. In that letter, we expressed our desire to closely examine the facts that would be presented, and we retained our right to pursue legislative action after the review was completed should the outcome prove unsatisfactory. Then, just last Friday, DP World announced their decision to transfer the U.S. port terminals acquired from Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company to a U.S. entity.…”