Kirk Watson: “Congress should not allow the secretly decided backroom United Arab Emirates port deal to go through. It must be…”

“Congress should not allow the secretly decided backroom United Arab Emirates port deal to go through. It must be stopped, and House Republicans should stand up to the President in the name of national security. Our ports are not for sale to the highest bidder. This deal shows once again the lengths the Bush administration will go to bend the laws to their advantage. The administration failed to conduct a 45-day investigation that is legally required. This, in itself, should be enough to stop this deal. The national security implications are simply too important to ignore. And, unfortunately, House Republicans have neglected our vulnerable ports since 9/11. Over the past 4 years, House Republicans have opposed and defeated Democratic efforts to increase funding for port security. Right now, only 6 percent of cargo coming into the U.S. is being checked, producing a large hole in our homeland security. I would hope that we can make port security a top priority. ____________________”