US Congressional Ports caucus leaders request the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to hold a hearing on the Fund.
Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) and Congressman Ted Poe (TX-2) have addressed the following letter to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman, The Honorable Bill Shuster, and Ranking Member, The Honorable Nick J. Rahall:
"As co-founders and co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional PORTS Caucus, the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) is a top area of interest for us. As such, we are writing to request that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hold a hearing on the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund as the first step towards improving our utilization of those funds.
For years, the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund has built to a multi-billion dollar surpluseven as so many ports across the nation have suffered from lack of investment. Common sense says there is a better way to manage and spend the trust fund, but we have not yet done what we need to fix it.
As our experience working together in the bipartisan PORTS Caucus has proven, we can find a way forward together on ports issues. The PORTS Caucus itself will be having its first meeting of the 113th Congress to discuss options to improve the utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund later this month.
We know this issue holds the promise of true, bipartisan progress on a vital infrastructure matter. In that spirit, we call upon the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to hold a hearing on the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund as soon as possible.
At stake is not only the strength and reliability of our nations ports and harbors, but the strength and reliability of the economic activity that flows through those gateways and creates jobs in every corner of the nation."