WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) hailed this week’s House passage of legislation that would ensure future funding for vital harbor maintenance, keeping harbors throughout southwest Michigan and the Great Lakes open for business.  The commonsense provision, which was part of the short-term highway bill (H.R. 4348), guarantees that all funding in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) be fully used for its intended purpose of harbor maintenance.  These revenues are already collected through the federal Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) that is imposed on commercial shippers for the purpose of maintaining our nation’s harbors. The fund has been left with a surplus in recent years as a budgetary gimmick, jeopardizing the operating capability of the region’s harbors.

“Ensuring our harbors remain open and ready for business is essential to job creation and growth here in southwest Michigan,” said Upton.  “Rather than denying our local harbors these vital dredging dollars – money that is already paid into the system through harbor user fees – we must see to it that our harbors remain bastions of economic growth.”

Keeping the St. Joseph harbor open to commercial traffic has long been a top priority for Upton as our Great Lakes harbors are essential to economic growth, infrastructure development, and countless local jobs.  From emergency dredging to maintaining standard operations, Upton has fought to keep these vital resources open.  Upton is a strong supporter of the bipartisan Realize America’s Maritime Promise (RAMP) Act (H.R. 104), which likewise would ensure that all federal revenues currently being collected for harbor maintenance are fully used and not left unspent as a budgetary offset.  This past winter, Upton worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to secure emergency funding to dredge the St. Joseph harbor, which had been closed to commercial traffic due to serve shoaling.

The timeline below provides an overview of Upton’s major actions this Congress to support the St. Joseph harbor:

February 18, 2011 – Upton becomes early cosponsor of H.R. 104, the bipartisan Realize America’s Maritime Promise (RAMP) Act

April 1, 2011 – Upton signs letter to House Budget Committee, requesting that all revenues derived from the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) be apportioned for harbor maintenance

May 19, 2011 – Upton joins Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) in leading bipartisan letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee requesting action on the misuse of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF)  Here for release

December 2011 – St. Joseph Harbor becomes inaccessible to commercial vessels due to severe shoaling in the outer harbor.  Upton works with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, area dock owners, and local officials to reopen the harbor

December 11, 2011 – Upton signs letter to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requesting that the HMTF be fully utilized in the President’s budget for Fiscal Year 2013

December 20, 2011 – Upton joins U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to announce $100,000 in emergency funding to dredge the St. Joseph Harbor  Here for release and story on WSBT

January 9, 2012 – Upton holds press conference at local Dock 63 in St. Joseph to highlight importance of open harbors to local economy, underscore importance of passing the RAMP Act  Here for release

February 8, 2012 – Upton welcomes news of $693,000 in U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers funding for dredging and maintenance of the St. Joseph harbor for Fiscal Year 2012  Here for release

April 18, 2012 – Upton hails successful inclusion of RAMP Act provisions in short-term surface transportation bill (H.R. 4348)  Here for release and video of Upton Floor speech