Port Security

Articles

Editorial: Port Security Bill Poised to Succeed -
Murray’s port measure is not about demagoguery. It’s a solid, well-crafted piece of legislation that she has patiently advanced by working with members of the Senate’s Republican majority.
- The News Tribune - May 7, 2006

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Protecting Ports - Improved cargo screening is a cornerstone of Sen. Collins' legislation. The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, has five parts: standards for cargo security; higher standards that give shippers preferred treatment under a voluntary program called GreenLane, which tracks their cargo from factory until it reaches the United States; protocols for restarting port operations after an attack; $400 million for security grants for ports; and deadlines and accountability for the Department of Homeland Security to ensure port security occurs.
- The Bangor Daily News - May 4, 2006

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Port Security: Not a Stepchild - An important step is the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. It would provide incentives to shippers who voluntarily meet the highest levels of security and container screening. Their cargo would get preferential treatment and move faster through the system. And time is money.
- Seattle Post Intelligencer - April 30, 2006

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Slipping through the net - and into our ports - According to the findings in Murray's bill, only 17.5 percent of cargo assessed as high-risk is inspected overseas, and the inspections are carried out by foreign officials using equipment that is "untested and of unknown quality."
- The Seattle Times - April 22, 2006

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Putting into Port - In testimony recently before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Sen. Murray described the fear that many have if a port - Seattle in her state; on a smaller scale, Portland here - were to suffer from an attack.
- Bangor Daily News - April 17, 2006

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Living proof: ports are vulnerable - Washington Sen. Patty Murray has been pressing for years to enhance port security. Bolstering port security is a good idea in a post 9/11 world.

Democrat Murray and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, Republican from Maine, have proposed the GreenLane Maritime Security Act to better track and secure goods shipped from overseas.
- Seattle Times - April 8, 2006

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Editorial: Port Security: Alarming lapse - “Washington Sen. Patty Murray has been at the forefront of efforts to persuade a recalcitrant Bush administration to make the investments and undertake the diplomatic efforts necessary to upgrade and integrate security systems for marine cargo.”
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - April 7, 2006

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Officials discuss inspecting cargo before it arrives - "That incident is a stark reminder that we are not doing enough to keep our cargo-container system secure," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. "This appears to have been a case of human smuggling, but that cargo container could have been filled with anything from a dirty bomb to a cell of terrorists."

Murray is a co-sponsor of the GreenLane Maritime Security Act, which would offer incentives to companies complying with stricter security standards. The bill was discussed at Wednesday's hearing.
- Seattle Times - April 6, 2006

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Congress moves to protect ports against terrorism - "I'm here today because our country is vulnerable to terrorist attack, and time is not on our side," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., told a Senate committee.
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - April 6, 2006

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Lawmakers criticize porous border - “This completely and frighteningly underscores what I have been saying,” Murray said. “There are huge holes in our border security.”
- The News Tribune - March 29, 2006

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Secure ports seize agenda in Congress - When seacoast Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Patty Murray, D-Wash., called for tougher port security last year, Washington all but yawned.
- Christian Science Monitor - March 15, 2006

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Holes in port security can cost us dearly -"The reason this (port takeover) is important is that we have not invested enough in port security: It is a huge hole in the war on terror," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who has campaigned to upgrade the priority given to screening U.S.-bound cargo.
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - March 1, 2006

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Why Port Insecurity Starts Abroad - The problem is "we don't know whether the manifests are accurate or not when the ships are loaded," says Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who has sponsored legislation to strengthen maritime security. "The containers are not tracked as they come overseas," Murray adds.
- Time - February 28, 2006

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A Port in the Storm Over Dubai - There is already a bipartisan bill that the White House and Congress could embrace to advance this effort. The GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security bill, co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, and Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, provides incentives for American importers to accept the modest fees associated with a global container inspection system. The bill would also establish minimum security standards and encourages the tracking and monitoring of containers throughout the supply chain.
- The New York Times - February 27, 2006

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Sound global policy must guide port issue -
But if Congress wants to address port security in a meaningful way, it should be looking for ways to ensure that more containers entering the U.S. are inspected. A good step would be passing the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). Their bill would use existing duties to get more U.S.-bound cargo inspected before leaving its point of origin, create one office to coordinate cargo security policy, and allow U.S. ports to reopen more quickly in the event of a terrorist threat.
- The Everett Herald - February 26, 2006

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Murray, Collins plug holes in port security -
Murray has teamed with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to propose the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act. As the senators note, the current cargo-security regime was developed pre-9/11, with an emphasis on efficiency, not security.
- Seattle Times - December 8, 2005

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Murray bill addresses gaping hole in security -
While most security efforts were being directed to the sky, Sen. Patty Murray turned her attention to what she saw as the biggest threat to homeland security - our cargo container system. The 9/11 commission concurred, stating that the opportunities to hurt our nation are "as great or greater" in areas like maritime transportation as they are in aviation.
- Everett Herald - December 4, 2005

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Murray bill would tighten ports’ cargo security - “Right now, there is a gaping hole in America’s security when it comes to cargo entering our ports every day,” said Murray, of Seattle. “To protect our nation we have to develop a cargo security system that closes vulnerabilities, provides a way to resume trade after an incident and maintains the efficient flow of commerce.”
- The Capital Times - November 16, 2005

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Bill would batten down hatches more at seaports
"Too often, we don't know what's in these cargo containers," Murray said. "We don't know who's handled them. We don't know if what's written on the manifest actually matches what's inside the container. And we don't know which containers need extra scrutiny."

The GreenLane program, the senators said, would allow officials to focus on suspicious shipments by providing speedier transit for law-abiding importers who agree to more stringent security criteria.
- The Daily Press - November 16, 2005

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Murray wants to make trade safer at ports - U.S. Sen. Patty Murray wants to use a carrot-and-stick approach to make international trade safer, enticing foreign shippers to upgrade their security in exchange for ship unloading priority.

“Right now we have a choice and a say in how we deal with the cargo security challenges facing us, but if we wait for a disaster, we won’t have a say and we won’t have a choice,” Murray told the Washington Council on International Trade’s annual conference in Seattle on Thursday.
- The News Tribune - July 8, 2005

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Anti-terror programs for cargo arriving at U.S. ports faulted - "These reports are incredibly troubling, but not surprising," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said yesterday. Murray has been one of the more aggressive lawmakers in prodding the government to improve. She is the creator of Operation Safe Commerce and has sponsored legislation this year to standardize port security.
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - May 26, 2005

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Ports get short shrift - Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., has been a leading advocate for Operation Safe Commerce, a project to track containers from origin to destination. But, Murray says, the administration has been pushing to "privatize" the project by putting the onus on the shipping industry to support the necessary technological transition.
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - September 21, 2004

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New port security plan gets good review -Sen. Patty Murray helped get funding for the program, reiterating how complex and complicated it is to keep watch on all the cargo that's moves in and out of our nation. "we cannot search every container that comes into our country. With $750 billion in cargo in more than 6 million containers a year, the haystack is just too big. Instead, we're using technology and intelligence to make the haystack smaller, and show us which containers are a security risk," she said.
- King 5 News - September 2, 2004

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Senator Patty Murray: America’s New Port Champion - Presenting the award, Charlie Sheldon of the Port of Seattle said that Senator Murray “has been an exceptional and tireless champion of ports throughout the last year, and well beyond. The name Senator Patty Murray is one that resonates, not only with those of us from Washington State fortunate enough to claim her as one of our own, but throughout the entire port industry.”
- Port Technology International - Summer 2004

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Fight Brews over Cargo Security Devices - "I think we pay," Murray (D-Shoreline) said Monday after launching a new era in port security. The Bush administration believes that foreign shipping lines, among other users, should foot the bill. Murray, Washington's senior senator, spoke in Tacoma at the beginning of Operation Safe Commerce, the federal program that will test how well those security devices work. "
- The News Tribune - March 16, 2004

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Battening Cargo Against Terrorism - "'The containers are "electronically sealed, so if a seal is broken from point A to point B, alarms go off, pagers go off, cell phones go off and everybody knows,' said Alex Glass, press secretary to Washington Sen. Patty Murray, author of the Operation Safe Commerce project."
- Wired - March 8, 2004

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All Things Considered: Budgeting Homeland Security - "Some local officials are also upset about proposed cuts in port security, something the President emphasized in his Charleston speech, which he delivered standing in front of a Coast Guard cutter. . . Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington is upset that funds for a new program to help ports secure and track cargo containers have also been eliminated in the budget. She says an attack on a port could have a devastating economic impact.

Murray: 'We can't play games with this. We can't just stand in front of Coast Guard cutters. We have to make sure we're doing what we need to do, and it is not free.'"
- National Public Radio - February 5, 2004

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Sen. Murray honored by U.S. port authorities
"Washington Sen. Patty Murray has been named Port Person of the Year by the American Association of Port Authorities"
-The News Tribune - March 5, 2004

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New Champion for Port Security - "Her persistence and bare-knuckled advocacy on behalf of port security despite the issue's low visibility with the public have earned her respect from many in and out of government"
- The Journal of Commerce - Aug 18-24, 2003

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Homeland Security Giving Local Economy A Shot In the Arm - “Sen. Murray was instrumental in getting the Coast Guard more money for its growing role in homeland security. And now the Coast Guard is spending a big chunk of that money -- $145 million -- on Safe Boats, built right here in Port Orchard.”
- KOMO 4 News - August 5, 2003

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Seattle and Tacoma ports to get $27.5 million for security - “The new grants bring the state’s total funding under the new Operation Safe Commerce program to $27.5 million – nearly half of the overall $58 million budget.” “Murray, who helped create the program last year when Democrats controlled the Senate, said she was elated that the port security program was being fully funded."
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - July 19, 2003

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Senate panel approves more money for port security - "'Washington state and the nation will be safer because of Operation Safe Commerce,' Murray said. "Today the Senate is providing even more support to make certain that security at our ports is a top national priority."
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - July 10, 2003

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Editorial: Money to secure ports is worth political gambit -“Patty Murray used her Senate prerogative to put a hold on the administration's nominee for its top budget writing post, vowing to block the appointment until Ridge fully funded the port security program. The administration relented Wednesday. Was the Washington Democrat's use of this privilege to free the funds appropriate. Absolutely.”
- Longview Daily News - June 15, 2003

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Murray wins on security - "..Murray got her way in a bruising showdown with the Bush administration, and so, too, did the Puget Sound region."
- The News Tribune - June 16, 2003

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Editorial: Port security is worth the money - "The senator's tenacity has served both her state and the nation."
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - June 16, 2003

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Editorial: Murray Muscles a Win for Ports - “Here's to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, who exerted some senatorial muscle to ensure that money Congress intended for port security programs went to port security. And she won."
- Seattle Times - June 12, 2003

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Murray Wins Fight to Fund Port Measure - "We're grateful she was able to convince the powers that be to deliver this funding."
- Seattle Times - June 12, 2003

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Sen. Murray Takes Procedural ‘Hold’ in Port-Fund Fight - “The state's senior senator is riled over Homeland Security Department plans to redirect $28 million of the $58 million she secured for port protection.” "’In my time in the Senate, this is one of those critical times,’ she said. ’We are talking about a container coming into Seattle and causing major damage. I'm more than willing to take this as far as I need to take it.’"
- Seattle Times - June 10, 2003

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Money Freed Up to Test Cargo-Container Security; Murray Applied Pressure for Funds; Seattle, Tacoma will get $13.3 Million - “Murray, who wrote the bill to spend money on the demonstration projects, said she's proud the two ports will get the funds and that the tests, part of a program called Operation Safe Commerce, ‘will make our ports and our communities safer, because it will allow us to know exactly what is in the containers coming to our ports.’"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - June 10, 2003

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Murray Announces First Installment of Port Security Funding - “‘The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma will receive $13.3 million in funding for a port security program’, Sen. Patty Murray said Monday.”
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - June 10, 2003

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Editorial: Harbor Security Needs Money, Attention - “With that attitude and the Bush administration's unwillingness to pay for securing shipping containers, we wish Sen. Murray much luck in her lonely dispute over an obscure appointment.”
- Honolulu Advertiser - June 8, 2003

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Congress, White House at Odds Over Security Costs - “Every one of those people is threatened if we don’t do the right thing at our ports.”
- NPR - May 30, 2003

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Editorial: Hope for the Best? -“Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., one of the leaders who pushed the port security program through Congress, was on target when she suggested that ‘an incident at one of our ports would have a devastating impact on our safety and the U.S. economy.’”
- Omaha World Herald - May 24, 2003

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Editorial: Feds raise alert, clip port security
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - May 22, 2003

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"How Al Qaeda might strike the US by sea"
- Christian Science Monitor - May 15, 2003

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"Murray fights to keep port security funds"
- Tacoma News Tribune - May 20, 2003

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"Cargo-security funds may be used elsewhere"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - May 19, 2003

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"Cargo-security fund may be used elsewhere"
- Seattle Times - May 14, 2003

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"High-tech cargo security system introduced"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - February 4, 2003

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"Terror-proofing the nation's ports"
- Seattle Times - February 4, 2003

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"Tracking Device Will Help Protect Shipping Containers" - Bellingham Herald - July 12, 2002

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"Seattle, Tacoma to Test Port Security Program"
- Seattle Times - July 12, 2002

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"Port of Seattle to Test New Cargo Security Program"
- King 5 News - July 11, 2002

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"Ports Get Millions for Security Plan"
- Everett Herald - July 11, 2002

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"Ports Getting Top-Notch Security"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - July 11, 2002

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"First Coast Guard 'SWAT' Team Boat Commissioned"
- Everett Herald - July 4, 2002

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"Seaports Under the Eye of New 'SWAT' Marine Unit"
- Seattle Times - July 4, 2002

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"Coast Guard Unit in Port Angeles to Get New Boats"
- Everett Herald - July 3, 2002

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"Coast Guard Gets More Boats to Patrol Strait"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer- July 3, 2002

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"Screening Cargo Overseas Deemed Vital for Safety"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - July 3, 2002

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"Seaport Attacks Could be Ruinous. Economy Depends on Ships, Senators Told"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer - July 2, 2002

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"Murray Wants to Beef Up Port Safety"
- The Olympian - June 7, 2002