IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 158 

Recognizing the importance of ports to the economy and national security 

of the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 12, 2013 

Ms. HAHN (for herself, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. SIRES, Ms. 

WILSON of Florida, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. 

FARENTHOLD, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. MCNERNEY, 

Mr. VARGAS, and Mr. POE of Texas) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of ports to the economy and 

national security of the United States. 

Whereas ports play a vital role in the United States economy; 

Whereas ports impact lives in every Congressional District in 

the United States by creating jobs, economic growth, and 

opportunity; 

Whereas the United States is served by more than 350 commercial sea and river ports that support 3,200 cargo and 

passenger handling facilities; 

Whereas each day, United States ports move both imports 

and exports totaling some $3.8 billion worth of goods 

through all 50 States and territories; 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 158 IH 

Whereas deep-draft ports move 99.4 percent of overseas 

cargo volume by weight and 64.1 percent of trade by 

value; 

Whereas ports move 1.4 billion tons worth of goods and generate $3.95 trillion in international trade; 

Whereas between 2001 and 2020, total freight moved 

through United States ports will increase by 50 percent; 

Whereas trucks and rail move goods across the United States 

and contribute to the national economy; 

Whereas more than 1 billion tons of domestic goods are 

transported via water each year; 

Whereas ports generated $23.3 billion in United States Custom duty, accounting for 70 percent of all United States 

Custom duties collected; 

Whereas international trade moving through ports accounts 

for 11 percent of the gross domestic product of the 

United States; 

Whereas port activity generates over $200 billion in Federal, 

State, and local tax revenue; 

Whereas ports support jobs for more than 13.3 million people 

in the United States nationwide; 

Whereas for every $1 billion in exports shipped through 

ports, 15,000 United States jobs are created; 

Whereas business activity related to seaports contributes 

$3.15 trillion to the United States economy; 

Whereas the cruise line industry contributed $35.85 billion to 

the United States economy and created nearly 330,000 

jobs in the United States that generated $15.2 billion in 

wages in 2010; 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 158 IH 

Whereas United States ports account for 75 percent of cruise 

embarkations worldwide; and 

Whereas 79 percent of cruise-related expenditures are made 

with businesses, including airlines, travel agents, and ship 

maintenance and refurbishers, throughout the United 

States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the importance of ports to the 

3 economy and national security of the United States; 

4 (2) urges the President, Federal officials, and 

5 other relevant stakeholders to consider this impor6 tance in decisionmaking and promote policies that 

7 strengthen seaport-related infrastructure; 

8 (3) affirms the longstanding Federal partner9 ship with ports as it relates to improvements to 

10 port-related infrastructure and its commitment to 

11 ensuring the safety of the United States ports and 

12 the communities in which they are located; and 

13 (4) expresses its gratitude to the millions of 

14 men and women who work at ports across the 

15 United States. 

Æ 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS