Infrastructure Advocates Laud Waterways Legislation Reference in Obama Address
President Barack Obama in his Jan. 28 State of the Union address pressed Congress to pass transportation and waterways legislation by the summer, a reference to the on-going conference over Senate Water Resources and Development Act, S-601, and sister House Water Resources Reform and Development Act, HR-3080. The law would create 3 million new jobs, said Obama to the applause of infrastructure advocates.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
“Modernizing our nation’s waterways transportation system in a way that is fair and equitable to our manufacturers, farmers and shippers will result in the creation and sustainment of American jobs, increased exports, and billions of dollars injected into a still-lagging U.S. economy,” said Waterways Council President Michael Toohey in a statement (here). “Failure to invest in the waterways and transportation infrastructure will risk America’s competitive advantage in world marketplaces.” The conference on the legislation has been underway for more than three months (see 13102428).
The mention of the legislation reflects a realization of the importance of infrastructure in bolstering the economy, after years of neglect, said American Association of Port Authorities President Kurt Nagle in a statement (here). “In recent years the needs of our ports have gained increased prominence in the national dialogue,” said Nagle. “What is becoming more evident to top government officials and Americans everywhere is that our ports are crucial to our economic resurgence because they are responsible for over 13 million American jobs, are vital to our international competitiveness and generate more than $200 billion annually in federal, state and local taxes.”
But House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman and HR-3080 sponsor Bill Shuster, R-Pa., criticized the president’s lack of genuine dedication towards transportation improvement. “Instead of showing leadership on these critical issues, the president offered little more than recycled sound bites from old speeches,” said Shuster (here). “I am committed to moving forward with fiscally responsible transportation solutions to promote competiveness and economic growth, reform programs, and focus our resources where they are needed most.”