[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 870 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 870

Congratulating and commending the Port of Baltimore on the occasion of 
                         its 300th anniversary.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 14, 2006

 Mr. Ruppersberger (for himself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Gilchrest, 
 Mr. Wynn, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Cummings, and Mr. Van Hollen) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Congratulating and commending the Port of Baltimore on the occasion of 
                         its 300th anniversary.

Whereas the Port of Baltimore, which lays on 45 miles of coastline, was 
        established in 1706 to transport farmers' crops along the East Coast and 
        to import and export cargo to international destinations;
Whereas the Port was a key strategic goal for the British during the 
        Revolutionary War and the War of 1812;
Whereas the Port was successfully defended during the War of 1812 by the 
        American soldiers and militiamen at Fort McHenry and North Point;
Whereas Francis Scott Key's commemoration of the attack, the Star Spangled 
        Banner, was to become America's national anthem;
Whereas the Port of Baltimore is one of America's busiest international 
        deepwater ports;
Whereas the Port of Baltimore is the second largest automobile importer in the 
        United States, is regarded as one of America's top container terminals, 
        and handles other cargoes such as coal, paper goods, electronics, 
        aluminum, and sugar;
Whereas the Port of Baltimore now ranks fifth among ports in the United States, 
        with major railways and trucking lines carrying cargoes from the Port;
Whereas the Port of Baltimore is ranked number one in roll-on/roll-off (``Ro/
        Ro'') cargo, handling nearly 50 percent of the East Coast market's share 
        of Ro/Ro cargo annually;
Whereas one of the Port of Baltimore's greatest advantages is its mid-Atlantic 
        and inland location, which makes it the closest Atlantic port to the 
        Midwest, as it lays farther west than any other major Atlantic port;
Whereas the Port of Baltimore serves as a critical anchor for Baltimore and the 
        area known as the Inner Harbor, where hotels, offices, and retail and 
        entertainment facilities, such as the National Aquarium and the Maryland 
        Science Center, replaced dilapidated wharves and warehouses;
Whereas the Port of Baltimore has been a driving force in maintaining the 
        economic stability of the region, generating an estimated $1.5 billion 
        in revenue annually and employing over 16,000 Marylanders in direct 
        jobs; and
Whereas without the hard work and dedicated service of Baltimore's port workers, 
        the Port of Baltimore and the State of Maryland would not maintain the 
        economic viability and success they enjoy today: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives congratulates and 
commends the Port of Baltimore on the occasion of its 300th 
anniversary.
                                 <all>