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Big Box Retailers Fight Cargo Screening; White House Opposes Bill
January 12, 2007 10:34 AM

Rhonda Schwartz Reports:

Washington DC lobbying groups representing Walmart and other big retail chains, blanketed capital hill with letters this week in a futile last ditch attempt to stop passage of a House bill calling for 100% screening of air and sea cargo which they said would "impose costly mandates on American business."

"They say the price is too high, for them. But the price the passengers on that plane will pay is their lives, because that's the way al-Qaeda could place a bomb on a plane." said Representative Ed Markey (D)sponsor of the amendment which was passed by the new Democratic majority in Congress this week including one third of the Republic members.

But while the business interests lost this round, it appears the Bush White house will join the lobbyists in a fight to prevent the bill from moving forward in the Senate.

The White House issued a detailed statement opposing the bill’s requirement for 100% scanning of air and sea cargo, saying "such a requirement is neither executable nor feasible.

Said Markey today, "When you don’t screen all the cargo, you can’t be sure it’s safe – its’ that simple. The Bush Administration is buying into the industry’s overblown claims when it should instead implement stronger air and maritime cargo policies to make our country more secure."