US to review port deal again

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who helped negotiate the plan, quickly recommended that lawmakers wait for the outcome before acting on legislation to delay or block the deal.

Frist said he expects oversight hearings to continue this week. In six pages of legal documents sent on Sunday to the White House, Dubai-based DP World offered to submit to a second, broader investigation of its plans to run shipping terminals in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

The Treasury Department said it would accept DP World’s offer once the company formally filed its request for one. It said the same government panel will reconsider the deal that it earlier had agreed unanimously posed no national security concerns.

Some senators, led by Charles Schumer said they still intend to introduce legislation to block the deal pending a 45-day review and to require congressional approval before DP World can conduct business in the US. Under existing law, Congress effectively has no role considering deals.

Schumer said he is skeptical of the review panel’s ability to evaluate the deal, saying the panel has been more focused on economic development rather than national security. —AP