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OAKLAND – U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer Monday toured the Port of Oakland where port officials and representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard briefed her on security efforts being taken to protect the facility against terrorism. 

Boxer, who is charged with reconciling port security bills in the House and the Senate, told port officials during the brief tour that added security must be top priority and vowed to help get as much money as possible to ensure that it happens. 

The current bills being considered – Senate Bill 1214 and House Bill 3983 – would bring about $650 million a year for port security measures that include added U.S. Coast Guard personnel and explosives detection technology. 

Boxer said the best approach to combat terrorist strikes is to enhance security at all possible fronts, including airports, ports, rail systems, power plants and water plants. 

“We have to stay ahead of the terrorists,” the senator said. “We have to do all of it right and there's no question that port security is crucial.” 

Part of the problem, Boxer suggested, was to make the number of cargo containers that have to be inspected smaller by relying on so-called “trusted vendors'' and by working with other countries to have them inspect the cargo before it reaches American shores. 

Currently, only a small percentage of the thousands of cargo containers that are brought in each day are checked.  

“We need to make sure before cargo comes in that we've inspected it, that we know it's safe,” Boxer said. “It's going to be very labor intensive to do that.” 

Boxer said she also supports the concept behind the trusted vendor to be used at the nation's airports through a trusted traveler program in which – after providing their personal information – frequent travelers would get identification cards that allow them to go past security checkpoints. 

Speaking about the impending deadline for airports to meet federal airport standards for baggage screening, Boxer said she is opposed to putting off the Jan. 1 deadline even though only the Los Angeles International Airport has indicated that it could meet the deadline. 

“We really can't put off dates,” Boxer said, adding that she is frustrated by the slow-moving process of making bomb-detection technology easier to get. 

“We got special guided smart bombs that go into caves, burrow down and find a bad guy and we can't check the luggage for bombs that is lying at our feet,” Boxer said.