[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       FULL UTILIZATION OF THE HARBOR MAINTENANCE TRUST FUND ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               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.