The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“FULL UTILIZATION OF THE HARBOR MAINTENANCE TRUST FUND ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1367 on Oct. 29, 2019.
The Department includes the Census Bureau, which is used to determine many factors about American life. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department is involved in misguided foreign trade policies and is home to many unneeded programs.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
FULL UTILIZATION OF THE HARBOR MAINTENANCE TRUST FUND ACT
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speech of
HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Monday, October 28, 2019
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2440, the ``Full Utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Act.''
H.R. 2440 creates a discretionary spending limit adjustment for full utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to ensure that funds are used to support navigation and maintain federally authorized harbors.
This bill makes certain amounts in the trust fund available, without appropriation, to pay 100 percent of the eligible operations and maintenance costs of specified portions of the Saint Lawrence Seaway and up to 100% of the eligible operations and maintenance costs assigned to commercial navigation of all U.S. harbors and inland harbors.
The Harbor Maintenance Tax and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund were established in 1986 to fund the operation and maintenance of Federal ports and harbors.
The Harbor Maintenance Tax is charged against the value of imports and domestic cargo arriving at U.S. ports that have federally-
maintained harbors and channels and deposited into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
Appropriations from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are primarily used for maintenance dredging, dredged material disposal areas, jetties, and breakwaters.
Since 2002, there has been a growing gap between the annual amount of Harbor Maintenance Tax collected and the annual amount of appropriations from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
According to the Department of Commerce in 2012, Texas exports totaled $265 billion.
In Houston, one of the greatest engines the local and national economy is the port.
The Port of Houston is a 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located just a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico.
As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, and the former chair of the Transportation Security Subcommittee, I understand that the challenge of protecting our nation's vital assets such as transportation infrastructure requires the finest technology and the highest levels of intelligence.
With the nation's largest petrochemical complex supplying over 40 percent of the nation's base petrochemical manufacturing capacity, what happens at the Port of Houston affects the entire nation.
The Port Commissioners and the Port Authority staff are keenly aware of their role in ensuring that this investment in human ingenuity and economic power receives the protection it needs.
We have the best emergency response vessel available to Houston to protect this national asset and treasure.
While the Port of Houston generates between $70-$100 million per year in HMT revenues and needs $50-$60 million for maintenance dredging per year, the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) is typically allocated only
$30 million for dredging in the Houston Ship Channel, causing severe draft restrictions which greatly effects ship traffic negatively in the Ship Channel.
It is critical for the United States Congress to address this issue and ensure that funds are spent to support navigation and maintain federally authorized harbors.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2440 to ensure that monies collected into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are able to be spent for our critical port and harbor needs.
