Hearing on Implementation of SAFE Port Act

On April 26, the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime & Global Counterterrorism of the House Committee on Homeland Security conducted an oversight hearing on implementation of the SAFE Port Act. In his opening statement, Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) complained about the continual missing of deadlines in the port security program. RDML Craig Bone (US Coast Guard), Mr. Jayson Ahern (US Customs and Border Protection), and Ms. Maurine Fanguy (Transportation Security Administration) presented a joint statement summarizing the status of various maritime security programs. In her oral testimony, Ms. Maurine Fanguy discussed some of the complexities of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). She also released the list of TWIC Fixed Enrollment Sites. Mr. Stephen Caldwell, Government Accountability Office discussed overall port security, facility security at US ports, international supply chain security, and Customs revenue collection efforts. Mr. George Cummings, Port of Los Angeles, discussed the importance of the TWIC program and container screening and inspection. Mr. Richard Wainio, Tampa Port Authority, discussed the value of federal-local partnership and cooperation. He also urged that the TWIC program be fully tested prior to implementation. Mr. Leal Sundet, Longshore and Warehouse Union, discussed the vital role played by union workers in the port security program. Mr. Manny Aschemeyer, Marine Exchange of Southern California, discussed the role of marine exchanges and expressed puzzlement that the US Coast Guard had not yet accepted the offer of the Maritime Information Service of North America (MISNA) to share information collected through its Automated Secure Vessel Tracking System (ASVTS). Source: HK Law