Port Negotiations

Floor Speech

Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the hardworking men and
women employed at our west coast ports who are responsible for two-
thirds of our Nation's international trade. Their hard work supports 5
million jobs nationwide and is the lifeblood of our economy.
But they have been working for months without a contract and without
knowing what the future holds for them. Contract negotiations are
ongoing, and I encourage both sides to stay at the table. Failure to
resolve their differences could be traumatic for our economy, and I
sincerely hope that it will not come to that.
Many people are aware that we still have congestion issues at our
ports. There are clearly underlying problems that must be addressed,
but it is important to keep in mind that these issues will still exist
even if a contract agreement is reached today.
Our ports drive our Nation's economy, and it is critical that we find
solutions to the congestion issues at our ports and in our overall
freight network.

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