Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this is the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998 which modernizes our system of international ocean shipping. This reform is long overdue. In fact, in the last Congress, the House overwhelmingly passed Ocean Shipping Reform. However, there was no action in the other body. The bill before us today maintains the essential reforms contained in that previous bill, and the most important of these reforms is the authority for American businesses to keep their ocean transportation costs confidential from their foreign competitors. Today our ocean transportation systems are competing against foreign exporters and foreign importers, and indeed, American exporters and importers are required to publicly file their ocean transportation contract prices. This bill will allow American businesses to keep those transportation costs confidential from their foreign competitors, and it will level the international playing field for our U.S. exporters. Further delay in not passing this bill will sacrifice any chance of reform in this Congress. This bill is strongly supported by millions of U.S. businesses, including the National Industrial Transportation League and the American Flag Carriers. It is supported by the administration and it is supported by organized labor.”