AAPA Reps Testify Before Two Subcommittees on Funding, Harbor Maintenance

At two separate Congressional hearings on March 7, 2012, representatives of the American Association of Port Authorities emphasized the need for federal support for seaport security and maintenance improvements to federal navigation channels, noting the challenges that underfunding security and dredging pose for national security and U.S. international competitiveness.

As the House Appropriations Committee begins work on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, the Deputy Executive Director of Operations at the Port of Los Angeles testified before the Homeland Security Subcommittee that the FY 2012 funding level represents a 59% cut from the prior year and 75% less than the authorized level. In testimony submitted to the Energy and Water Subcommittee, AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle focused on the need for full use of the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) annual revenue for maintenance dredging and the need to adequately fund needed channel deepening projects.

(See ITT's Online Archives 12022105 for summary of AAPA press release lauding proposed increased use of the Harbor Maintenance Fund (HMF) in FY 2013.)