Bill Frist News

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) welcomed the U.S. Senate’s approval last evening of the long-pending Water Resources Development Act (S. 728), which addresses a six-year backlog of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs, including navigation projects, policies and procedures necessary to keep pace with today’s burgeoning trade. The bill also includes a number of important provisions for the Corps, such as an amendment proposed by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) to strike decommissioning language for the Corps dredge McFarland and lift restrictions on two other Corps dredges (the Yaquina and Essayons). “AAPA and our member ports are very pleased that this critical piece of legislation is finally headed to conference, thanks in large measure to Sen.

Senators who want to open new areas of the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas production heralded came to a compromise. The agreement was supported by a key Florida senator, Republican Mel Martinez, who previously had vowed to block anything he perceived as a threat to the state's multimillion-dollar beach-related tourism industry. The deal, promoted by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and several Gulf Coast lawmakers, would open an 8 million-acre segment of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to production while barring drilling within 125 miles of the Florida coastline. Drilling proponents say the new area that would be open to production contains more than 1 billion barrels of oil and more than 5 million cubic feet of natural gas.

The controversy over the planned acquisition of six port facilities in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, and New Orleans by UAE-based Dubai Ports World (DPW) continues apace. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) issued a Press Release stating that he is asking the Administration to delay the acquisition until a detailed briefing is provided. Representative Chris Shays (R-CT) is seeking a new thorough federal review of the acquisition. Representative Clay Shaw (R-FL) plans to introduce legislation aimed at preventing foreign entities from operating U.S seaports. Meanwhile, the White House released remarks made by President Bush defending the Administration’s decision to not block the acquisition.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. (R-TN) made the following statement on the deal proposed by Dubai Ports World of the United Arab Emirates that would give the company day-to-day management of six major U.S. “Recent reports that a company based in the Middle East is seeking to purchase the operating rights to several U.S. ports raise serious questions regarding the safety and security of our homeland. The decision to finalize this deal should be put on hold until the Administration conducts a more extensive review of this matter. “It is important for Congress be involved in this process. I have requested a detailed briefing on this deal.