Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D., (R-South Louisiana) issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development announced it will recommend to draw a record $1 billion from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to maintain America’s federal navigation channels and related infrastructure:
“I commend the Senate for taking a step in the right direction toward properly dredging and maintaining our nation’s waterways. While this amount of funding is a historic level, it is a far cry from the amount duly owed to funding America’s ports and harbors. The Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) collects $1.6 billion in revenues annually. This funding amount, in its entirety, should be used for its intended purpose.
“Anything less than that amount continues to rob our nation’s waterways. As an advocate of dollar-for-dollar revenues for maintenance, this announcement by the Senate still falls short of what our nation’s ports and harbors deserve.
“The RAMP Act, H.R. 335, continues to provide the best solution as it ensures all money taken in by the HMT will be used for its intended purpose: maintenance and dredging of America’s waterways.”
[mappress]
Press Release, June 26, 2013