U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint plans to introduce an amendment to the 9/11 Commission bill that would bar felons from working at the country's seaports.

"Serious felons cannot be trusted with secure access at our seaports," Mr. DeMint, South Carolina Republican, said when announcing his proposal during a speech last week to the ThinkTec Homeland Security Conference at Charleston Air Force Base.

"We passed legislation in the Senate last year closing this security loophole but it was taken out of the bill when no one was looking," he said. "This time the votes will be counted and every senator will have to take a stand on whether they support allowing criminals convicted of serious felonies to work on the frontlines of our homeland security."

The amendment would prevent certain felons from working at the seaport and entering the port working as a truck driver.

The prohibition would apply to people convicted of espionage, treason, terrorism or crimes involving hazardous material, explosive device, murder and racketering.

It would also bar felons convicted in the last seven years or jailed in the last five years for assault with intent to kill, kidnapping, rape, firearm violations, extortion, fraud, bribery, smuggling, immigration violations, robbery, drug dealing and arson.

"We can spend all the money in the world screening cargo but if a port worker looks the other way, it's all for nothing," Mr. DeMint said. "Serious felons are prime targets for those trying to smuggle a nuclear device or chemical weapon into our country, and we can't take the risk."

-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times