U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg) is urging Congress to pass a bill designed to spur job creation and economic growth by making smart investments to improve our nation’s ports and other key water infrastructure.

“Tampa’s Port is the largest in Florida and a vital economic engine with a $15 billion impact. We must support its future competitiveness by directing wise infrastructure investments,” Rep. Castor said. “This bill will boost jobs through port and waterway modernization and expansion. It also allows expansion of our Riverwalk as part of Tampa’s long-range initiative to enhance our waterfront.” 

The Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) authorizes Corps of Engineers funding for improvements to America’s ports, waterways, and projects tied to flood protection, drinking water, dams and levees, and environmental restoration. In addition to the improvements it will bring to Tampa’s Port, Rep. Castor worked with the City of Tampa to include language in the bill to modify a federally designated channel under the Kennedy Boulevard Bridge to allow further development of the Riverwalk.

“This bill has received bipartisan support in the House, but once again the same faction of very conservative Republicans that irresponsibly shutdown the government are opposing the reasonable solutions offered in this bill, which will risk job creation and threaten underinvestment of our ports,” Rep. Castor said. 

WRRDA is under consideration in the House today. The Senate passed its version in May with a strong bipartisan vote. It has been almost seven years since the last WRRDA bill was passed, stalling growth for ports and waterways throughout the country.

Ports support the employment of more than 13 million people in the United States, according to the American Association of Port Authorities. Each year, U.S. ports handle more than 2 billion tons of cargo, and a 2011 report by the U.S. Maritime Administration shows more ships are stopping at U.S. ports with a 13 percent rebound in 2010 after an 8 percent decline in 2009. Earlier this year, the Tampa Port Authority released an impact study that showed that economic activity rose to $15.1 billion, up from $8 billion in 2006.

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