Chuck Grassley: “I am going to offer amendments as a combined amendment, amendments that would prohibit the use of money in these…”

“I am going to offer amendments as a combined amendment, amendments that would prohibit the use of money in these subsidies to the maritime companies from being used for lobbying or for campaign contributions. That will be one amendment. I was going to offer it as two separate amendments, but they are so closely related, I think they should be joined together. On behalf of the amendment I am speaking about now, it would say that these funds cannot be used for lobbying or public education. For years now, maritime subsidies, such as operating differential subsidies, have funneled money into pro-maritime lobbying organizations. The Maritime Administration has historically calculated a certain amount of the taxpayer subsidies to U.S.-flag carriers to cover funding for organizations such as the Transportation Institute and the Joint Maritime Congress. I want to make clear to my colleagues that I do not have anything against the Transportation Institute or the Joint Maritime Congress, but it should not be a cost of operation that the taxpayer subsidy is going to be used for. This should be funded by private money. It should not be a cost of doing business figured into the subsidy. My amendment makes certain that these funds cannot be misused for such lobbying or so-called public education purposes.”