On the recordSeptember 27, 2016
I yield the gentleman from Oregon an additional 1 minute. Mr. DeFAZIO. To just get back to the core of this, other than that, it is a pretty good bill. It is critical that we maintain our ports and our infrastructure, and it is critical for our competition--the world economy; but we need to stop hoodwinking the American people. If you are not going to spend the tax for the purpose for which it was collected--harbor maintenance and construction--then lower the tax, because every American is paying a little bit more for every imported good. Besides that, they are paying a lot more because the ships are way out to sea, in line, because they can't access our ports, again, because of deferred maintenance at portside facilities. We have got that money. We are collecting the tax. Let's spend the tax in the way in which it is authorized under the law of the United States of America, and let's stop playing games.
