The DeMint Amendment Halts Union Terrorism
by Will Fine 9/28/06
The Port Security Bill (H.R. 4954) contains a provision written by Senator DeMint that would ban workers who have been convicted of a felony from working at United States seaports. The Bill and amendment are being hammered out in conference and the goal of the conferees is to have it completed before Congress adjourns.
Under current law workers need a Transportation Worker, ID Credential to work at seaports. Under the DeMint Amendment workers convicted of a felony , such as, treason, murder or espionage would automatically be denied TWIC cards. Workers convicted of felonies like bribery, extortion, unlawlful possession and distribution of a firearm would have to wait five years for a TWIC card.
Unions object to the DeMint amendment choosing rather to have felons make us safer at our seaports. In typical fashion they say union longshoreman are under attack rather than the American people because as Larry Willis, Counsel in the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO said of the DeMint Amendment that it is too "broad". Too broad? then who is the Terrorist, Mr.Willis? Longshoreman Communication Director Steve Stallone backs up Mr. Willis point that his Longshoreman are the real victims. Too broad or too narrow, In fighting the DeMint amendment the unions do not care to distinguish between terrorists and the true victims, us.
In fact the real question is who is the felon? The real concern of the unions is the thorough and very fair background checks longshoreman would go through revealing possible felons in their ranks. The unions continue to miss the point that the screening process also unmasks the terrorists in the process. Without such a through screening suitcase bombs and other biological weapons could invade our neighborhoods but for the unions this but all falls on deaf ears.
