[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16] [Senate] [Page 21513] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SAFE PORT ACT Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I thank my friend for yielding to me. While Senator Collins is still on the floor, I want to take a moment to say, Mr. President, if you go back 5 years ago and consider the tragedies that befell our Nation on September 11, it opened our eyes to the kind of threats we face with respect to the security of our air travel. It served to open our eyes, subsequently, with respect to the security of our ports, with the security of our chemical plants and the communities that are located around them. I think we have had our eyes opened to security threats that maybe face people who travel on our trains and our commuter rail systems. We have seen all too well how inadequately--ineptly, really--FEMA responded to the Katrina and the gulf coast part of our country. I think most of us agree today we are better equiped now to fend off threats to the security of our air travel. And I think with respect to the security of our ports, with this legislation Senator Collins and Senator Murray have shepherded, which the Presiding Officer has contributed greatly to, we have made real progress; some would say maybe not enough, but I think everybody would say measurable, palpable progress. I know there are folks who have been critical of the fact that we have not included the rail and transit provisions in this final conference report, which were included in our Senate-passed version. I wish they were there. We have a lot of people who travel on the rail and transit systems, with, I think, about 9 billion trips this year, and there is a threat to many of them--not all of them but to many of them. But there is good work that has been done with respect to chemical security. FEMA has been overhauled, and I think maybe not transformed but I think significantly improved. One of the constant threads within all of that has been Senator Collins, as the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. I just want to stand here tonight and say that this is yet another conference she has helped to direct and steer, as it comes to a conclusion. I commend her, and certainly Senator Murray, who has worked closely with her. I commend them and the Presiding Officer and others for the good work they have done. I acknowledge we have some more work to do with rail and transit security. My hope is we will do that when we return next January. Thank you very much. And I again thank my friend for yielding. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan. ____________________