Turning the Tide: Securing America's Ports; Asa Hutchinson Among Panelists to Discuss State of America's Port Security

6/23/2004

From: Kelly Keane, 410-321-0137 or kkeane@goodmanmedia.com, for The George Mason University School of Law

News Advisory:

-- DHS Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson Among Panelists to Discuss the State of America's Port Security on Eve of July 1 Deadline for New Maritime Security Laws

With the July 1 deadline fast approaching for the implementation of the new Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Ship and Port Facilities Security Code, leading policymakers and experts will gather for an unprecedented discussion on the state of U.S. port security. The newsmaker panel will address issues concerning preparedness for the upcoming deadline and the balancing act between the free-flow of commerce against ever-tightening security.

"Turning the Tide: Securing America's Ports" is sponsored by the Critical Infrastructure Protection Program (CIP Program) at The George Mason University (GMU) School of Law. The newsmaker panel will take place on Tuesday, June 29, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. (ET) at The National Press Club, with lunch beginning at 12 p.m. The discussion will feature the following panelists:

-- Asa Hutchinson, under secretary for border and transportation security, DHS;

-- Carl W. Bentzel, senior democratic counsel, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee;

-- James Carafano, senior research fellow, The Heritage Foundation;

-- Joe Cox, president, The Chamber of Shipping of America;

-- Philip J. (P.J.) Crowley, senior fellow and director of national defense and homeland security, Center for American Progress; and

-- Jim White, executive director, Maryland Port Administration.

"Turning the Tide: Securing America's Ports" will examine the projected effectiveness of the new port security laws and the roles of government and industry in shouldering the costs and bearing responsibility for America's port protection, which is intricately linked to the many of the nation's critical international supply chains such as food and oil supplies.

The discussion will be moderated by Frank Sesno, GMU Professor of Public Policy and Communication and Senior Fellow, The CIP Program. He is also host of the WETA/George Mason University series of public affairs programs entitled Sesno Reports, which examines the National Capital Region's and the nation's most pressing issues. Prior to his work at GMU, Sesno was Washington bureau chief for CNN and executive producer of the highly acclaimed PBS series on weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, Avoiding Armageddon.

"Turning the Tide: Securing America's Ports," is the third in a series of critical conversations on the nation's post-9/11 preparedness and how to better protect America's critical infrastructures sponsored by the CIP Program. In June 2003, Hutchinson and Rep. Jim Turner (D-Texas) debated the role of government and industry in the nation's homeland security. In November 2003, FERC Chairman Patrick Wood, Department of Energy's Denise Swink and PEPCO Chairman John Derrick, Jr. were among the newsmaker panelists who gathered to discuss the state of America's power industry, homeland security and the anticipated impact of the U.S.-Canada Task Force Report on the Northeast blackout.

The CIP Program is directed by John A. McCarthy, a member of the faculty at George Mason University School of Law. The CIP Program works in conjunction with James Madison University and seeks to fully integrate the disciplines of law, policy, and technology for enhancing the security of cyber-networks, physical systems and economic processes supporting the nation's critical infrastructures. The CIP Program is funded by a grant from The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

EDITOR'S NOTE: To attend a noon luncheon preceding the discussion, please call 703-993-4722. Panel event photos will be available upon request. Please e-mail kkeane@goodmanmedia.com. For more information on The CIP Program, please visit http://techcenter.gmu.edu.