Political Quotes

“I rise to support the Oberstar amendment to protect the small-and medium-sized ports, the small shippers, and the working people of the Nation. I compliment the gentleman from Minnesota, the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, for offering this amendment. It is absolutely vital for the survival of the small- and medium-sized ports in this country that rates between conferences and shippers be open for public scrutiny. The committee bill allows those rates to be kept secret--a practice that will allow conferences to become cartels that will put everyone in their way out of business. The secrecy provision will allow big carriers to cut deals with big shippers that get rid of most of the Nation's ports, many small shipping companies and tens of thousands of jobs. Without the Oberstar amendment, H.R. 2149 is a protection bill for big business and big shippers. This amendment maintains the public disclosure requirements that were enacted in 1984 and have worked well. It will provide protection for small and medium-sized ports, for small shippers and for tens of thousands of jobs at the 90 percent of the ports in this country that will be put at risk by this bill. We can reform the ocean shipping laws without giving our endorsement to cartels and without promoting the elimination of virtually every one of our Nation's ports. We can reform the ocean shipping laws without jeopardizing tens of thousands of jobs throughout the country.”