Representative Cramer has heard from many constituents expressing their concern over the sale of six U.S. ports to the United Arab Emirates owned Dubai Ports World. One couple from Madison County emailed saying:
"Dear Congressman:
We question the wisdom of allowing a foreign company, let alone an Arab company, to own the port operations in some of our nations most important ports. We request that you do all in your power to stop this sale of port operations to a foreign company. Will you do this?"
Representative Cramer responded saying:
Last month, a corporation called Dubai Ports World signed a deal to purchase the British company P&O Steam Navigation. Prior to the deal, P&O had been managing operations at six U.S. ports, including ports in New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans. Dubai Ports World's purchase of P&O gives them control of these six ports.
This arrangement was approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews deals such as these for national security implications. Despite the fact that Dubai Ports World is owned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was the home of two 9/11 hijackers and was the source of much of the funding for that attack, this deal does not appear to have triggered any additional scrutiny before it was approved by CFIUS.
The primary role of the federal government is ensuring the safety and security of the American people. For years, the vulnerability of our ports has been a major concern for many of us in Congress. This deal needs to be reviewed by Congress so that we can make sure that all of the concerns and questions regarding national security are answered truthfully and thoroughly. Furthermore, these events highlight the need to review the process by which arrangements of this nature are approved. Please know that I will continue working to protect our ports and ensure our nation's security.
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