Congress Sends Security Bill to Bush (AP)

Congress Sends Security Bill to Bush

By JIM ABRAMS
The Associated Press
Friday, July 27, 2007; 6:33 PM

WASHINGTON -- Congress sent President Bush legislation
Friday to intensify anti-terror efforts in the U.S., shifting
money to high-risk states and cities and expanding screening
of air and sea cargo to stave off future Sept. 11-style attacks.

The measure carries out major recommendations of the
independent 9/11 Commission.

The bill, passed by the House on a 371-40 vote, ranks among
the top accomplishments of the six-month-old Democratic
Congress. The Senate approved the measure late Thursday by
85-8, and the White House said the president would sign the
bill.

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The bill elevates the importance of risk factors in determining
which states and cities get federal security funds _ that would
mean more money for such cities as New York and Washington
_ and also puts money into a new program to assure that
security officials at every level can communicate with each
other.

It would require screening of all cargo on passenger planes
within three years and sets a five-year goal of scanning all
container ships for nuclear devices before they leave foreign
ports.

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