SENSE OF CONGRESS ON HARBOR MAINTENANCE.

SEC. 1536. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON HARBOR MAINTENANCE. (a) Findings.—Congress finds that— (1) there are 926 coastal, Great Lakes, and inland harbors maintained by the Corps of Engineers; (2) according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics— (A) in 2009, the ports and waterways of the United States handled more than 2,200,000,000 short tons of imports, exports, and domestic shipments; and (B) in 2010, United States ports were responsible for more than $1,400,000,000,000 in waterborne imports and exports; (3) according to the Congressional Research Service, full channel dimensions are, on average, available approximately ⅓ of the time at the 59 harbors of the United States with the highest use rates; (4) in 1986, Congress created the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to provide funds for the operation and maintenance of the navigation channels of the United States; (5) in fiscal year 2012, the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is expected to grow from $6,280,000,000 to $7,011,000,000, an increase of approximately 13 percent; (6) despite growth of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, expenditures from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund have not been sufficiently spent; and (7) inadequate investment in dredging needs is restricting access to the ports of the United States for domestic shipping, imports, and exports and therefore threatening the economic competitiveness of the United States. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Administration should request full use of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for operating and maintaining the navigation channels of the United States; (2) the amounts in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund should be fully expended to operate and maintain the navigation channels of the United States; and (3) Congress should ensure that other programs, projects, and activities of the Civil Works Program of the Corps of Engineers, especially those programs, projects, and activities relating to inland navigation and flood control, are not adversely impacted.