[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 5973]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PORT OF CHARLESTON

  Mr. GRAHAM. I ask unanimous consent to enter into a colloquy with my 
good friend, the majority leader.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, a lot of Members now understand the 
problem we have with the port of Charleston in 2011. There is no money 
in the President's budget to do a scoping study. Under the new rules 
concerning earmarking, it has been very difficult to find a way 
forward. With the help of the majority leader and his staff and the 
people on Appropriations--the staffs of Senators Feinstein and Lamar 
Alexander--we came up with language that would allow 12 different ports 
to have studies completed in fiscal year 2011, if the Corps chose to 
engage in those studies. It was not a requirement, and it had no sums 
required in terms of what the Corps had to spend. It was purely 
discretionary. Unfortunately, our House colleagues did not accept that 
language.
  My problem is that in fiscal year 2011, there is no mechanism as of 
yet to allow a scoping study to be done for the potential deepening of 
the Charleston harbor to accept supercargo ships coming through the 
Panama Canal in 2014. This harbor, along with others, has to be 
deepened to accept these new ships. The amount of money is $40,000 on 
the Federal side to be matched by the State. People ask me: Why can't 
you come up with the money? Boeing, BMW, Michelin, the State of South 
Carolina?
  I would do the $40,000, but I can't. You cannot have a private entity 
take over a Federal Government responsibility. So this is one of those 
situations that is a catch-22. It is an anomaly in the law. The Vice 
President's office and Congressman Clyburn, a lot of us, Congressman 
Scott, have been working diligently, with the assistance of the 
majority leader, to find a pathway forward within the current system. 
We are very close to finding a way to get this study done because it 
was a previously authorized program under current law.
  I have put a hold on everything I could put a hold on.
  Now I believe we are making progress. The majority leader has some 
needs, and I want to let him know I am willing to work with him and 
others to end the Senate well before we go out on Easter break. I thank 
him for the help he has given me to take care of a problem that no one 
could have anticipated. But it is a real problem for the people of 
South Carolina. I wish to let him know I appreciate the effort.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Begich). The majority leader.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I say to my friend the distinguished Senator 
from South Carolina, I am aware of the 12 ports that need help. But out 
of the 12, there is none more needed--and we as a country would get 
such a bang for our buck--to do what is necessary than the port of 
Charleston. I first compliment the Senator from South Carolina for his 
proposed solution to a challenge facing the State. He is dogged in 
representing the State of South Carolina. This is an issue that is 
important to the people of his State. His solution would not in any way 
violate any of the rules we have in the Senate. It is something that 
would not be part of congressionally directed spending in the true 
sense of the word that has been not approved by people in recent years. 
I have been part of the Appropriations Committee since I first came to 
the Senate.
  I love that committee. I know the good things it can do for our 
country and has done for our country. This merit-based competitive port 
fund that has been suggested would not be limited to South Carolina, 
even though I think it is the most needy of the 12. This would not 
guarantee that the port study in Charleston would go forward but would 
provide the Corps the opportunity to move forward should they choose.
  Mr. President, I not only have been a member of the Appropriations 
Committee, but for a long, long time--a long time--the Senator from New 
Mexico, Mr. Domenici, and I--that was our subcommittee, Energy and 
Water, and that is where this money comes from.
  This is so necessary to be done. I understand the Corps' obligations. 
This is something we have to do. And even though my friend acknowledged 
this vote we just took care of the funding until the end of this year--
but that is the end of this fiscal year. There are going to be other 
pieces of legislation to come to this floor. We could, at any time--any 
time--move forward on this. I thought we had a solution because of the 
anomaly we found ourselves in to work this out with the House of 
Representatives.
  It is not often that I am a cheerleader for pieces of legislation 
that are suggested and moved forward by Republicans, but I was on this 
one. This is something that is merit-based and is fair. I am going to 
continue to do everything I can for my friend from South Carolina to 
see if before the end of this fiscal year we can get something done. It 
is important to him. It is important to our country because of the 
value that port has to our country.
  Mr. GRAHAM. I thank the majority leader very much. It is appreciated 
on behalf of all of us in South Carolina. And I look forward to finding 
a solution for the country as a whole.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.

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