Charles.Boustany Introduces 'Realize America's Maritime Promise Act'

Washington, D.C.– U.S. Representative Charles W. Boustany, Jr., R-Southwest Louisiana, yesterday introduced the Realize America’s Maritime Promise (RAMP) Act. This legislation will ensure that funds designated for dredging projects in America’s harbors and ports will be used solely for this purpose. “Dredging federally maintained waters to their authorized levels is crucial for Louisiana and the American economy,”said Boustany. “For too long, Congress used the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to disguise the federal deficit, limiting the fund’s ability to address real problems along many of the waterways important to trade, commerce and jobs.

These waterways create thousands of jobs throughout the Gulf Coast region, but chronically underfunded dredging imperils those jobs and commerce each year.”

The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund currently has a balance of approximately $5.1 billion, yet this funding is not being used to address the backlog of necessary maintenance dredging needed to sustain vital infrastructure. Failure to maintain these harbors and ports impacts regional and national commerce, reduces America’s economic competitiveness, and increases the risk of vessel groundings, collisions, and pollution incidents. “During this time of economic turmoil, we cannot afford to threaten these water highways that are so important to our nation’s commerce,” Boustany said.

The bill is cosponsored by 26 bipartisan, nationwide Members of Congress who understand the importance of adequately maintaining the nation’s ports and waterways.

Funds from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are also used to rebuild wetlands by way of beneficial use of dredged material projects. Congressman Boustany has worked tirelessly in Congress to protect Louisiana’s coast and has been at the forefront of the fight to ensure that Louisiana harbors are adequately maintained. ###

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Charles Boustany Washington, DC Office 1431 Longworth House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515-1807 Phone: (202) 225-2031 Fax: (202) 225-5724

Eric Cantor @GOPLeader Now Live on Twitter As 112th Congress Set to Open

WASHINGTON, DC – For the 112th Congress, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and his office can now be found on Twitter as @GOPLeader.

In addition, the Office of the Majority Leader presents a new Facebook page – House Chamber – to provide updates on the House of Representatives' floor schedule in real-time. Here's a full run-down of where you can connect with Cantor on the web:

Twitter: Leader Cantor will take over the account once held by Speaker-elect John Boehner (R-OH), who will now tweet as @SpeakerBoehner. Majority Whip-elect Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will takeover @GOPWhip. Additionally, Cantor's press office will be tweeting as @CantorPress.

Facebook: Americans can "Like" House Chamber on Facebook and receive the House's weekly and daily floor schedule, as well as schedule updates in real-time throughout the day as Congress debates and votes on legislation to address the major challenges confronting our nation.

Website: This is your news hub for the latest information from the Office of the Majority Leader, including the Majority Leader blog, the House floor calendar and schedule, and YouCut, the program which allows Americans to have a voice in determining which spending cuts they'd like to see Congress make and which has received over 2.5 million votes. Leader Cantor’s Virginia constituents can still visit Cantor.House.gov for help with constituent services and information on legislation in Congress

YouTube: Experience the latest videos from the Majority Leader, including floor speeches, news clips, and our video news releases designed to give you the latest information on what's going on in Congress

Social media is revolutionizing the way we communicate, and these platforms will continue to help people stay informed about what's happening in Congress and allow them to join the conversation about how our nation can remain the land of prosperity and opportunity.

TEXT CREDIT: Eric Cantor || Majority Leader ||