Vice President Joe Biden visits the Port of Houston

Vice President Joe Biden visits the Port of Houston Authority to discuss investing in the nation’s infrastructure to help create jobs and grow the economy. Biden's visit to Houston is part of a wider administration effort to expand seaport operations across the nation that account for nearly 80 percent of the volume of U.S. international trade. This was the final leg of a tour of American ports to highlight the expansion of the Panama Canal before traveling to Panama for an update on the expansion project that will bring larger vessels to U.S. ports including Houston. The project, scheduled for completion by 2015, is expected to impact the nation’s commerce by bringing five times as many exports through the Port of Houston by 2035, which is ranked first in the country in export tonnage. The USACE Galveston District plays a key role in America’s well-being by keeping waterways open for navigation and commerce. The district is responsible for deepening and widening waterways, such as the Port of Houston, for the safe and expeditious accommodation of commercial waterborne traffic and maintaining more than 1,000 miles of channel, including 270 miles of deep draft and 750 miles of shallow draft. For more information about the district’s Navigation Branch and dredging mission, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation.aspx.