On the recordJune 30, 2010
I rise totally in support of H.R. 3360, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010. This legislation passed the House with strong support in November of last year, and I am pleased to see it return from the other body as an improved bill ready for final passage. I commend my colleague, Ms. Matsui of California, who has been relentless as an advocate for protection of the cruise line passengers. Mr. Speaker, every year cruise line companies carry over 10 million Americans to and from American ports. The cruise lines promise Americans safety, security, fun, and relaxation aboard the ships. But as we have seen, safety is not something the cruise lines are always prepared to guarantee. According to the FBI, sexual assault is the leading crime reported and investigated by the agency among crimes that occur on the high seas. In fact, in a 2005 hearing before the Committee on Government Reform, Chris Swecker, assistant director of the Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI, noted that, "Sexual assaults are the dominant threat to women and minors on the high seas, with the majority of these incidences occurring on cruise ships." His statements are backed up by the disturbing frequency of assaults onboard these ships. During one 6-month period in 2007, the cruise lines reported 41 separate instances of sexual assault to the FBI, 19 of which were categorized as rape.
