{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20141206064851/http://www.scott.senate.gov/press-release/scott-and-bipartisan-group-senators-ask-proper-use-harbor-maintenance-funding", "Scott and Bipartisan Group of Senators Ask for Proper Use of Harbor Maintenance Funding", "2014-11-25", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Charleston, SC \u00ad\u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) joined a bipartisan group of 22 senators in requesting that the Senate Appropriations Committee set spending levels for harbor maintenance at the amounts authorized in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014. Senator Scott supported the passage of WRRDA earlier this year, and the harbor maintenance funding is utilized to dredge and maintain America\u2019s ports, including the ports in Charleston and Georgetown.\u00a0  \u00a0\u00a0  The Senators wrote, \u201cMore than $1.8 billion in annual HMT revenue is being collected specifically to meet the nation\u2019s annual authorized harbor maintenance needs for harbors of all sizes. Unfortunately, annual appropriations have been significantly less than annual collections, resulting in harbors and navigation channels getting narrower and shallower due to accumulating sediment, declining dredged material disposal area capacity and deteriorating harbor structures such as breakwaters and jetties due to inadequate funding.\u00a0  \u00a0\u00a0  Harbors and navigation channels are a vital part of our nation\u2019s transportation infrastructure, and the elimination or reduction in their capacity can have significant impacts on local communities and economies as well as the national economy.\u201d\u00a0  \u00a0\u00a0  Also signing the letter were Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Al Franken (D-MN), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bill Nelson (R-FL), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).\u00a0  \u00a0\u00a0  The full text of the letter is below, and the letter can be accessed as a PDF\u00a0here.\u00a0  \u00a0\u00a0  November 20, 2014\u00a0  \u00a0\u00a0  The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski Chairwoman\u00a0  Senate Committee on Appropriations\u00a0  S-128, U.S. Capitol\u00a0  Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Richard C. Shelby\u00a0  Ranking Member\u00a0  Senate Committee on Appropriations\u00a0  S-128, U.S. Capitol\u00a0  Washington, D.C. 20510\u00a0  \u00a0  The Honorable Dianne Feinstein\u00a0  Chairwoman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development\u00a0  186 Dirksen Senate Office Building\u00a0  Washington, D.C. 20510\u00a0  The Honorable Lamar Alexander\u00a0  Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development\u00a0  186 Dirksen Senate Office Building\u00a0  Washington, D.C. 20510\u00a0  \u00a0  Dear Chairwoman Mikulski, Ranking Member Shelby, Chairwoman Feinstein, and Ranking Member Alexander:\u00a0  \u00a0  Thank you for your efforts to increase U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works program harbor maintenance funding in your annual Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies (E&W) Appropriations Acts.\u00a0  \u00a0  We write to request that when you enter into negotiations with your House counterparts to complete Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) annual appropriations legislation you support a final FY15 harbor maintenance funding level that was authorized under Section 2101(b) of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA 2014). That section established a 10-year path to fully use Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) collections for their intended purpose, with FY15 being the first year. It would be unfortunate if Congress failed to hit the HMT target just seven months after passing this legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support. We also ask that the funding be provided only for authorized harbor maintenance.\u00a0  \u00a0  More than $1.8 billion in annual HMT revenue is being collected specifically to meet the nation\u2019s annual authorized harbor maintenance needs for harbors of all sizes. Unfortunately, annual appropriations have been significantly less than annual collections, resulting in harbors and navigation channels getting narrower and shallower due to accumulating sediment, declining dredged material disposal area capacity and deteriorating harbor structures such as breakwaters and jetties due to inadequate funding.\u00a0  \u00a0  Harbors and navigation channels are a vital part of our nation\u2019s transportation infrastructure, and the elimination or reduction in their capacity can have significant impacts on local communities and economies as well as the national economy. WRRDA 2014 recognizes the national need to increase use of HMT collections to benefit all navigation projects, high and moderate use, emerging, underserved and Great Lakes ports, along with expanded uses at donor ports. The Army Corps of Engineers has reported that nationwide authorized channel depths are available about half of the time, and then only over half of the channel\u2019s width. This drives up the cost of U.S. exports and imports, which threatens U.S. economic growth, and increases the risk of vessel groundings and associated oil spills. Many U.S. exports compete in a very price-sensitive global market where transportation inefficiencies mean losing business to other countries. It is vitally important that the WRRDA HMT commitment be met.\u00a0  \u00a0  While addressing increased funding is difficult, in part because of inadequate Administration funding requests, the United States should not miss opportunities to spur economic growth, improve our global competitiveness and create jobs. We urge you to work with the House to craft a final FY15 E&W Appropriations bill (or title within an omnibus appropriations bill) that meets the FY15 harbor maintenance spending target and allocation provisions under Sections 2101(b) and 2102, respectively, of WRRDA 2014 to maintain the nation\u2019s shipping channels, our nation\u2019s gateways to the global marketplace.\u00a0  \u00a0  Thank you for your consideration of this request.  \n\t\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141206064851/http://www.scott.senate.gov/press-release/scott-and-bipartisan-group-senators-ask-proper-use-harbor-maintenance-funding"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1882020626217127, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}