Recommendation to direct City Manager, or his designee, to communicate the City’s support for House Resolution 5101 (CA-Hahn).
Right. Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I want to thank the Congresswoman for being here this evening and to present this very important resolution regarding the National Freight Network Trust Fund for 2014. As you may be aware, the congresswoman established the very first port committee of the United States Congress. This committee was designed with the goal of developing a united solution towards maintaining goods, movement and productivity. Our nation faces a serious infrastructure crisis. I believe it is critical we support dedicated funding for the national freight system. It is my understanding that this legislation will not only create jobs here in Long Beach, but also serve as a vehicle for combining the economic downfall of infrastructure transportation that our nation has undergone. If we want our port to remain internationally competitive, I fear that the effective movement of our country's goods is key to our economic achievement. This bill gives us a long term fix by providing the necessary funding towards achieving our goal. Today, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of the resolution. Can you make the motion? I make the motion to please. I support the resolution. Okay. There's been a motion and a second by Councilmember Andrews. And with that, I'd like to invite one of our congresswomen here, one of our two members of Congress here in the city of Long Beach. Give her a round of applause. Congresswoman Janice Hahn. Thank you, Mayor Garcia. Members of the city council. Thank you, councilmember. You're Ranga for your motion and your leadership on this issue. I want to thank you for allowing me to speak regarding this resolution that's being taken up tonight, which supports my legislation, H.R. 5101, the National Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014. And as everyone here knows tonight, the port of Long Beach, along with the other port over the bridge port of Los Angeles. We are America's port and was glad to meet tonight. John Slater up the new executive director of your port. And here in Long Beach, we know that the port is critical to our region and to the nation. As home to one of the world's busiest seaports, leading international trade gateway and employer to over 1 million people annually. Ensuring the global competitiveness of the Port of Long Beach is integral to the success of the employees of small businesses, of corporations, of the health of Long Beach. And I know, Mayor Garcia, you have made the growth of the Port of Long Beach, one of your number one priorities for economic empowerment here in the city. It's a top priority for Long Beach because it is your economic engine, and that's what will fuel the economic growth for this entire region. But what we know here in Long Beach about the importance of the ports, I found out that members of Congress didn't always know. And so from day one, when I went to Congress, I worked to raise the level of discussion and education of what ports mean to our economy, what it means to commerce. So I started as Councilmember Ranga talked about the bipartisan Port Caucus. I now have 91 members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, who have joined the Port Caucus. Some of them don't even have a port, but they knew that this was going to be an important vehicle for the future of this country. I've worked in Congress to increase federal funds for the Port of Long Beach, and I know that's going to increase your global competitiveness and create local jobs. This year, Congress passed and the president signed into law legislation that increases spending for our nation's port infrastructure. I fought for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to be spent rather than to be in our nation's bank account. And I fought for more money to go back to the ports that collect that tax, including the Port of Long Beach. And last month, I continued the fight when my bipartisan amendment passed the House overwhelmingly to increase funding for our ports by $57 million. And I'm not stopping there. President Obama called for $2.8 billion of freight infrastructure projects on our nation's highways and rail. However, the president did not suggest a way to pay for it. But I did. My legislation, the National Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014, pays for our nation's freight projects. Last year, I was selected to be on the panel of the 21st century freight transportation, and I brought other members of Congress to the Port of Long Beach. Some of these members had never even seen a port, and they did not understand what we see every day and why that matters. And from my work on that panel, I took the leadership role and figured out how to fund crucial infrastructure projects, including and like the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement and the Demonstration Electric Truck Highway . This legislation will take 5% of all Customs and Border Protection fees and places them directly in this freight network trust fund. And this will fund projects like dedicated truck lanes on our highways, better bridges, more on dock rail, the last mile coming into our ports across the country. Railway, highway grade separations and freight corridors. The most used routes that our freight travels on and across the country. We don't raise taxes and we add at least $2 billion back into the economy every year to create good paying jobs and keep America's port strong and globally competitive. Thank you for letting me speak tonight. I urge the council to consider my legislation and I and to offer your support for H.R. 5101, the Freight Network Trust Fund. I believe this is a win for the country, but this is a win for Long Beach. And your port. You. Will be the first official body on record as a city municipality that would endorse this. And I think the rest of the country will look to you as being a leader on this issue. Thank you very much. Thank you, Congresswoman. Do you have some some members that want to speak? Councilmember Austin. Thank you. And I'll be very short. I wanted to take the opportunity to, first of all, thank my colleague, Mr. Durango, Councilmember Durango, for bringing this issue forward. I've served on the 17 Oversight Committee for the City of Long Beach for the last two years. And I can tell you with the plans that we have moving forward with Caltrans MTA to improve the 710 corridor, this is a vital piece of federal legislation and we'll give hopefully when it passes, will give us the necessary funding to help move that project forward. I just wanted to also thank you for all of the work that you are doing in the district hands on grassroots. You've been meeting with constituents, utilizing our eighth district office, working with the ninth district. And I know tomorrow is your Congress on the corner, and I look forward to joining you there. Thank you very much. And I know that the region really appreciate your leadership in D.C.. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Richardson. Thank you, Councilmember Durango, for asking the ninth District and to sign on in support of this. I think it's a great step considering you're the chair of our 17 committee and I'm the chair of our Fed led committee. This is exactly what we should be working on. I want to acknowledge our congresswoman, Janice Hahn, who's who's really been hands on and involved in all parts of all parts of her district, which is very special to us. I look forward to welcoming you to the ninth District for the Congress on your corner at Fire Station 12 tomorrow. I think this is a great idea. I hope that we, you know, do all that we can to advocate in support of this bill. The last few years, we just heard a number of debates right here at the council about zero emissions and truck corridors, freight corridors. And and the fact that we're partnering with our local representative to advocate for a trust fund that can help to support local and regional governments, to fund projects like that is exactly the type of partnership here in Long Beach that we need. So I just wanted to chime in and say thank you, Councilmember Urunga, and thank you, Congresswoman Hart. Thank you. Councilor Andrews. Yeah. Yes. Thank you, guys. Thank you, Mayor. Well, I tell you, I won't get a chance to speak anymore. But, Congresswoman. Mrs. Hahn, I'll let you know that because of this, you know, all I could hear from you, the whole conversation was about jobs. And that was in my whole advocate about jobs. And I know how many jobs this will bring to the city of Long Beach. And I want to thank you not only Long Beach, but all over the, you know, city of Long Beach and L.A. Of course, we know the other harbor, but yet and still, you're doing a great job. Please keep up the good work. And thank you so much again. Thank you. Councilmember Gonzales. Thank you, Congresswoman. I just wanted to say we appreciate. Your tenacity. Always. And from San Pedro, my family's hometown. To here in the city of Long Beach. Thank you for keeping us on top of port issues. So appreciate it. Thank you. Is there any public comment on the item? KC None that we have a motion on the floor. Members, please go ahead and cast your votes. Motion carries eight zero. Congratulations. Thank you, Congressman, for coming down. And this is actually a great Segway to our first presentation. And we have our we have with us today John Slinger Up, who is our new chief executive at the Port of Long Beach.