ALEXANDRIA, VA (Jan. 31, 2012) — The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) commends the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its chairman, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), for its commitment toward: a five-year reauthorization of federal surface transportation legislation; a freight mobility subtitle; a waterborne transportation title that seeks to fully use the federal Harbor Maintenance Tax for its intended purpose; program consolidation; streamlining project delivery; and to the aggressive timetable it has developed to secure passage of a final bill. “The bill introduced today,
H.R. 7 – American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act – is a testament to Chairman Mica’s leadership and vision that improved transportation infrastructure, including in and connecting to seaports, is critical to our nation’s economy, employment gains and international competitiveness, and must be addressed when determining core federal priorities and investments,” said AAPA President Kurt Nagle.
“AAPA looks forward to working with Congress on timely passage of a final bill that includes strong maritime and freight provisions,” he added.
On Feb. 1, the port industry will be providing testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee on maritime tax provisions to be included in the surface transportation bill.
About AAPA
Founded in 1912, AAPA today represents 160 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 300 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports. As a critical link for access to the global marketplace, each year, Western Hemisphere seaports generate trillions of dollars of economic activity, support the employment of millions of people and, in 2008, imported and exported more than 7.8 billion tons of cargo, valued at $8.6 trillion, including food, clothing, medicine, fuel and building materials, as well as consumer electronics and toys. The volume of cargo shipped by water is expected to dramatically increase by 2020 and the number of passengers traveling through our seaports will continue to grow. To meet these demands, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable.
www.aapa-ports.org