AEM supports past proposals from Chairman Peter DeFazio to ensure that funds meant for the HMTF remain designated.

I am determined, and I am certain this committee will be determined to see that that doesn't happen.

I will again introduce legislation to fully utilize Trust Fund proceeds for their intended purposes.

I urge your continued support for this legislation which would virtually ensure Congress uses already-collected funding to maintain our Nation's ports and harbors.

But that we should spend that down in a programmed way to meet deferred maintenance and needs in both large ports and small ports.

the bad news is that Congress, on a bipartisan basis, has frequently underspent the collected taxes, meaning we are taxing the American people for a specific purpose where we have great needs.

the good news is that we do have a revenue source to maintain our harbors, a law enacted during the Reagan administration with a Democratic Congress.

Well, let's just say, is there anybody on the panel who disagrees that we should spend all of the collected taxes on an annual basis, we should appropriate the total amount on an annual basis because there are needs out there?

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, for holding this important hearing on the need to invest in our Nation's ports and inland waterways.

The bad news is that we refuse to spend this money.

We are still having trouble with the White House, not quite as bad as last year.

The good news is that we are currently collecting sufficient revenues to adequately maintain our commercial harbors.

I am pleased to be here to support the EDA.

We can and must do more to save lives and prevent injuries on our roads.

EDA is the only Government agency focused solely on economic development.

For this reason, I find it perplexing that the Trump Administration proposed in each of its last three budgets to eliminate the EDA.

Currently, more than 100 people a day die in motor vehicle accidents--that's one life lost every fifteen minutes.

They got a $3 million EDA grant, and the project is going forward.

Somehow we seem to have become sort of inured to the fact that 100 people a day die in motor vehicle accidents.

Pedestrian deaths have also risen sharply in the last decade--an increase of 45 percent since 2009.

I am hopeful that as we move toward reauthorization of the FAST Act that we can put new direction and new emphasis on how to deal with this horrible toll.

When it comes to roadway safety every single life counts.

Somehow this has become tolerable.

Generally, EDA creates around three to four jobs per $10,000 in funding.

A total of 37,133 people were killed on our roadways in 2017.