Appropriations Amendment Ramps Up HMT Funding to Water Law Levels, Says AAPA in Praise
The House-passed Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies for the fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill would increase the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding to meet the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) funding target included in the Water Resources Reform…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
and Development Act (WRRDA), said the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) in a statement. President Barack Obama signed the WRRDA measure into law in June (see 14061102). The appropriations legislation hikes HMT funding as a result of passage of an amendment (here) prior to the vote on the bill. Co-chair of the Congressional PORTS Caucus Janice Hahn, D-Calif., and Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., offered the amendment. The passage of the amendment is “evidence of the impact of the strong education and outreach by the maritime industry and freight cargo community, including AAPA and its members, over the last few years related to the importance of fully using the HMT and its importance to maintaining our international competitiveness,” said AAPA Government Relations Vice President Susan Monteverde in the statement. The appropriations bill passed with 253 votes, largely on partisan lines with Democrats opposing the bill (here). Hahn voted against the full appropriations bill.