South Miami-Dade News

At a House Homeland Security Committee markup hearing today, Congressman Carlos Gimenez's bill, H.R. 3169 - Identifying Adversarial Threats at Our Ports Act, was reported out of committee with unanimous support. The bill will now proceed to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Congressman Gimenez emphasized the importance of this legislation in his prepared statement for the committee markup. "As Chairman of the Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee, I urge the Committee to support the Identifying Adversarial Threats at our Ports Act," he stated.

Gimenez highlighted the significance of maritime ports to both America's economy and national security. He noted that foreign actors, particularly from Communist China, have been attempting to infiltrate port technology and equipment such as ship-to-shore cranes.

Drawing on his experience as Mayor of Miami-Dade County, where he oversaw PortMiami operations, Gimenez remarked on the critical role U.S. ports play in local economies and their vulnerability as soft targets for adversaries. "I saw firsthand how crucial U.S. ports are to local economies, but also how they present soft targets to our adversaries," he said.

Gimenez also mentioned a joint investigation by the China Select and Homeland Security Committees over more than a year that resulted in a report detailing concerns about PRC-manufactured ship-to-shore cranes operating in U.S. ports.

"H.R. 3169 ensures that we identify and address these concerns before our adversaries can cause harm while strengthening the security of our ports against potential exploitation," Gimenez asserted.

He expressed gratitude to Mr. Garamendi from California for his support on this legislation and urged his colleagues to back the bill as well.

Congressman Carlos Giménez represents Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. He is notable for being the only Cuban-born Member of the 118th Congress and has served as Fire Chief of Miami and Mayor of Miami-Dade County. Currently, he chairs the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, serves on the Armed Services Committee, and is part of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

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