President Bush Threatens to Veto Coast Guard Bill Over LNG Security Provisions
Yesterday, President Bush released a statement threatening to veto H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard reauthorization bill, over a proposed requirement that the Coast Guard enforce security zones around LNG vessels and terminals. According to the Associated Press, the White House called the requirement “an unwarranted and unnecessary subsidy” to the owners of LNG infrastructure. Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) dismissed the objection, saying the White House is “grasping at straws.” The legislation also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that the Coast Guard sector responsible for the LNG facility and vessel transit “has all of the assets it needs to provide waterside security around the terminal and to provide security around tankers transporting liquefied natural gas in security zones.”