NJ-Sen: Video) Menendez exposes GOP's weak cargo security bill
This is how to be strong on Defense!
New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez gave a very important speech on the Senate floor today that exposed the clear differences between where the two parties stand on port security. Republican Senator Norm Coleman introduced a bill that does absolutely nothing to change the fact that only 5% of all cargo that enters the United States is inspected. The bill calls for 5% of the cargo to be "screened." Menendez explained the fundamental difference between "screening" cargo and "scanning" cargo. Also, Menendez asked why we are waiting for the cargo to reach U.S. soil before being inspected?
Right before the election, the GOP are trying to introduce a bunch of national security bills for political reasons even though none of them, including this one, will change the fact that the Republican Senate majority has dropped the ball on port security. Here is part of Senator Bob Menendez's (D-NJ) speech on the floor:
<< (YouTube)
--- Partial Transcript ---
MENENDEZ: "If we adopt the Gentleman from Minnesota's amendment, we're still saying, 'Okay, five percent is something we're willing to live with.' At the end of the day we don't move to a plan of a hundred percent scanning of the nation's cargo."
"...It is very important to understand that when we keep saying 'screen' -- well, screen means looking at a manifest cargo...put(ing) it into a mathematical equation that says, 'Alright, let's look at this five percent of cargo.' But that's not scanning one-hundred percent of what comes into the nation. Let America not be confused by that."
"...also, this is about scanning it abroad. When we wait until it comes into a port of the United States, if it has a nuclear device in it, it's a little late...We need to be doing that scanning abroad."
Leaders like Bob Menendez, who actually think through the problem pragmatically in order to find a solution, are the kinds of individuals we need in positions of power keeping the American people safe. No offense to NJ Republican Senate candidate Thomas Kean Jr. But I think Bob Menendez is proving quite clearly why he is smart, competent, nuanced, analytical, and deserves reelection.
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