By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Pennsylvania officials today were crowing about the progress of efforts to deepen the Delaware River shipping channel.

Citing yeoman bipartisan efforts by Gov. Tom Corbett and the Southeastern Pennsylvania delegation in Congress, a spectrum of politicians and a port leader hailed the signing of a $14½-million contract to dredge another stretch of the river.

US Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa., seated front row right) said the channel, deeper by five feet, will attract thousands of new shipping jobs.  And now, he pointed out, the project has federal funding.

“Thirty million new dollars has been passed in the House budget, to add to the $17 million that’s already on board,” Meehan said.  “This is fighting for jobs in our house, because if we don’t fight for them, they’re going to go to folks wearing Giants jerseys and Redskins jerseys.”

The announcement came at Packer Marine Terminal, just across the Delaware River from New Jersey — which has fought the dredging in a bipartisan way, just as Pennsylvania has backed it.