Boustany Amendments Advocate Greater Harbor Maintenance Funding, Defunding Flood Risk Management Standard

Press Release

Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D., (R-South Louisiana) offered an amendment to the FY2016 Energy and Water Appropriations bill with Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D-CA) advocating for full funding for harbor maintenance.

In 2014, Congress passed the Water Resources and Reform Development Act (WRRDA). Boustany helped insert legislative language similar to his own Realize America's Maritime Promise (RAMP) Act into the WRRDA legislation outlining targets for annual incremental funding increases leading to full use of Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) revenues by FY2025.

The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) collects an estimated $1.8 billion in HMT revenue each year. According to the WRRDA law, FY2015's target funding level was 67% of FY2014 HMT revenues, equaling $1.16 billion, which the House met last year. Boustany and Hahn authored a letter to the House Appropriations Committee with 86 total House signatories on March 18, 2015, asking for a 69% allocation of FY2015 HMT revenues, or $1.25 billion, for FY2016.

The FY2016 Energy and Water Appropriations bill includes only $1.18 billion for harbor maintenance funding. The Boustany-Huizenga-Hahn amendment ensures that the House meets its commitment under WRRDA of a $1.25 billion allocation from the HMTF for FY2016. The amendment passed by voice vote.

Boustany said: "Congress must honor its commitments, plain and simple. Today, the Army Corps of Engineers has reported that nationwide authorized channel depths are available only half of the time. Why do we do this to ourselves when we have plenty of funds to address this issue? My bipartisan amendment ensures our ports are dredged to adequate depths and widths, supporting American competitiveness abroad and job creation at home."

Boustany was also an original cosponsor of an amendment led by Representative Ralph Abraham, M.D., (R-LA) that would defund the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). Established by Executive Order by President Obama, the FFRMS estimates where future "floodplains" may exist based on increased flooding risk caused by climate change.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) immediately moved ahead with draft guidelines for implementing the FFRMS without soliciting public comment. No cost-benefit analysis has been conducted on the impact this rule will have on critical items to Louisiana like disaster preparedness assistance, federal highway aid and housing programs, federal loans, and federal permits and licenses. The amendment passed by voice vote.

Boustany said: "This Administration continues to rule using Executive Orders and a top-down approach without taking stakeholder voices into account. This is a very bad rule for Louisiana, potentially devastating coastal communities and inhibiting their ability to grow and develop. Representative Abraham and I are sending a message to President Obama that we'll stand up and fight on behalf of the Gulf Coast."

The House passed the FY2016 Energy and Water Appropriations bill this morning.

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