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Amendment to Boost Waterways Funding Could Be Offered at Mark-Up

Jun 26, 2014

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) has indicated his intention to offer an amendment, during the Finance Committee’s Thursday mark-up of the highway trust fund proposals, to increase the barge fuel fee that funds the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF).

The amendment would add the .09 cent increase in the towboat diesel user fee that was recommended by the capital development plan and supported by the waterways industry and ASA as a necessary part of recapitalizing the IWTF and investing in much needed waterways infrastructure upgrades.  The increase was not included in the recently enacted WRRDA bill because the tax/revenue issues were outside of those committee jurisdictions and the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means chose not to offer any new revenue components for the WRRDA.