Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA-44) applauded a long sought after provision in the 2016 WRDA bill released by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee which would take Harbor Maintenance revenues “off-budget.”
In 1986, Congress established the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) as a user-fee on shippers in order to ensure that no port or harbor would suffer from a lack of dredging. However, in the decades since it was created, only a small fraction of this funding ever made it back to the ports and the trust fund was used as a budget gimmick.
Since coming to Congress, Congresswoman Hahn has championed spending the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and taking it “off-budget” is the final step to ensure that it is spent each year. Off-budget would mean HMT would not be subject to the appropriations process and would ensure that every year the revenues be allocated as originally intended and directed toward projects at our nation’s ports.
The draft Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA 2016), which was released by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Monday, includes a provision to take HMT off-budget in 2027.
“Finally taking the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund off-budget guarantees that every year billions of dollars will go to keeping our nation’s ports efficient and globally competitive,” said Hahn. “This funding will go to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and ports across the country to create construction jobs and economic opportunity for decades to come. As I finish my time in Congress, I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish in ensuring that the money collected at our ports, for our ports, goes back to our ports.”