House Committee Votes to Block Port Deal [View All]

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House Committee Votes to Block Port Deal

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 8, 2006
Filed at 6:16 p.m. ET

G.O.P. Leaders Vowing to Block Ports Agreement (March 8, 2006) WASHINGTON (AP) -- In an election-year repudiation of President Bush, a House panel dominated by Republicans voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block a Dubai-owned firm from taking control of some U.S port operations.

By 62-2, the Appropriations Committee voted to bar DP World, run by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, from holding leases or contracts at U.S. ports. Bush has promised to veto any such measure passed by Congress, but there is widespread public opposition to the deal and the GOP fears losing its advantage on the issue of national security in this fall's elections.

As the panel acted, Democrats on the other side of the Capitol were clamoring for a vote on the same issue in the GOP-led Senate.

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By its vote, the House committee attached the ports language to a must-pass $91 billion measure financing hurricane recovery and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The full House could consider that measure as early as next week.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/politics/08wire-port.htm