As Congress returns to Washington to begin its work on FY 2019 appropriations bills, AAPA weighed in today on the industry’s port security and landside freight transportation infrastructure needs.

AAPA requested, in a letter to Congress, continued funding at a level of $1.5 billion for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program, which recently passed in the FY 2018 Omnibus. With additional TIGER funding, as well as increased Marine Highway Program funding and the normal funding level authorized for INFRA grants, a new session has been added to AAPA’s Capital Projects Seminar, May 8-9 in Norfolk, VA. The panel discussion will focus on how ports can tap into billions of dollars in new federal money available for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s grant programs.

For FY 2019 Homeland Security appropriations, AAPA urged Congress to fund the Port Security Grant Program at the originally authorized level of $400 million, but at a minimum of $100 million, which would be the amount recently enacted in the omnibus bill. Earlier this year, the Administration requested $36 million in its FY 2019 budget proposal. In addition, AAPA strongly encourages that U.S. Customs and Border Protection direct staffing resources to ports and terminals to address the growing freight, passenger and business development opportunities within the maritime environment. 

This week both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will begin the process of convening hearings on the FY 2019 budget and appropriations requests.