BILL REQ. #:  S-1490.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/22/13.   

     TO THE HONORABLE BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The federal harbor maintenance tax is not collected on trans-pacific cargo shipped to the United States via rail or roads; and
     WHEREAS, This noncollection of the harbor maintenance tax is an incentive to divert cargo away from United States ports; and
     WHEREAS, The federal maritime commission inquiry into the harbor maintenance tax found that up to half of United States bound containers coming into Canada's west coast ports could revert to using United States west coast ports if United States importers were relieved from paying the tax; and
     WHEREAS, Current United States law does not require the revenues raised through the harbor maintenance tax to be fully spent on harbor maintenance related investments; and
     WHEREAS, The geography of harbor maintenance tax expenditures does not correlate with the states where harbor maintenance revenues are generated; and
     WHEREAS, The balance of the harbor maintenance trust fund has grown to over seven billion dollars;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that:
     (1) Congress pass and the president sign legislation reforming the harbor maintenance tax; and
     (2) Such legislation provide for full use of all harbor maintenance tax revenues, ensure United States tax policy does not disadvantage United States ports and maritime cargo, and provide greater equity for harbor maintenance tax donor ports through limited expanded use of the harbor maintenance revenues.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.