Port Security Hearing: Senate Commerce Comm. 3/2

[TayTay]

Security of Terminal Operations at U.S. Ports
Full Committee Hearing
Thursday, March 2 2006 - 2:30 PM - TBD

Webcast: Click here to view a live webcast of this hearing.
Description: WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Commerce Committee today announced it will hold a Full Committee hearing on the recent purchase by Dubai Ports World (DP World) of the P&O Port division of P&O Group on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. in a room to be determined. The hearing will examine DP World’s purchase of P&O Ports and the security role held by the U.S. government at ports. This deal, which allows DP World to gain access to terminal leases held by P&O throughout the world, was accepted by P&O shareholders February 13, 2006. P&O Ports is a multi-national terminal operating company based in the United Kingdom, which leases terminals throughout the world, including six in the United States – New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, and New Orleans. DP World is owned by the United Arab Emirates government. This offer was accepted over a similar offer tendered by PSA International. “This hearing will provide Committee Members the opportunity to clearly understand what the proposed purchase means for terminal operations at ports,” said Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). “It is important for us to get the facts and avoid speculation. This hearing will help us make informed decisions to ensure the security at our nation's ports.” Witnesses will be announced when available.

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Gee, do you think this could be controversial? I bet ya we get appearances by everyone at this hearing. (Unless the Senate schedules the vote on the Patriot Act at this time or some other sneaky maneuver by the Rethugs.)

I thought this one hearing deserved it's own stand-alone thread. It's kind of been in the news lately. I bet my greatly and deeply esteemed taller Senator shows.

[wisteria]

1. I also hope it gets a lot of coverage and Hillary stays home! n/t

[TayTay]

2. She's not on Commerce (Sen. Clinton, that is.)

Republicans:
Ted Stevens - Alaska
John McCain - Arizona
Conrad Burns - Montana
Trent Lott - Mississippi
Kay Bailey Hutchison - Texas
Olympia Snowe - Maine
Gordon Smith - Oregon
John Ensign - Nevada
George Allen - Virginia
John Sununu - New Hampshire
Jim DeMint - South Carolina
David Vitter - Louisiana

Democrats:
Daniel K. Inouye - Hawaii
John D. Rockefeller IV - West Virginia
John F. Kerry - Massachussetts(sic)
Byron L. Dorgan - North Dakota
Barbara Boxer - California
Bill Nelson - Florida
Maria Cantwell - Washington
Frank Lautenberg - New Jersey
E. Benjamin Nelson - Nebraska
Mark Pryor - Arkansas

Oy! Stevens, McCain, Lott and Allen. (yuck!)

Kerry, Boxer and Dorgan are all excellent interrogators. This might be pretty good, if it indeed happens. (I think it's odd to schedule an important hearing on a major issue like this on a Thursday afternoon. Think someone might be trying to bury this?)

[wisteria]

4. McCain is on this committee! Well we know who will get the most

air time if it does air. Mr know-it-all.

[_dynamicdems]

3. I totally agree. Hillary Clinton is really starting to annoy me.

She shows no political courage whatsoever but shows up and mouths off when it is to her advantage. This is a serious issue and her grandstanding will not help things one bit. Better to leave it to the serious legislators, like Kerry, instead of those who are more concerned with their own political futures, like Hillary Clinton.

[wisteria]

5. Yeah, I really can't stomach her recently. She is such a phony. n/t