April 20, 2012

Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) hailed 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.