IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 592 
Recognizing the importance of ports to the economy and national security 
of the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 20, 2012 
Ms. HAHN (for herself, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. MCIN-
TYRE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. 
RANGEL, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. 
MOORE, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. LARSEN of Wash-
ington, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. STARK, Ms. WILSON of Flor-
ida, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. SIRES, Mr. SCALISE, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. 
CASSIDY, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. DEFA-
ZIO, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. LORETTA 
SANCHEZ of California, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. 
COURTNEY, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. CLARKE of 
Michigan, and Mr. FILNER) 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; 
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•HRES 592 IH 
Whereas the United States is served by more than 350 com-
mercial 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; 
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 gen-
erate $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 Cus-
tom 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 though ports, 
15,000 United States jobs are created; 
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•HRES 592 IH 
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; 
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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the importance of ports to the 
economy and national security of the United States; 
(2) urges the President, Federal officials, and 
other relevant stakeholders to consider this impor-
tance in decisionmaking and promote policies that 
strengthen seaport related infrastructure; 
(3) affirms the longstanding Federal partner-
ship with ports as it relates to improvements to port 
related infrastructure and its commitment to ensur-
ing the safety of the United States ports and the 
communities in which they are located; and 
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