Ports Association welcomes proposed FY21 Senate Appropriations Bills

AAPA advocates for highest attainable funding levels to aid U.S. ports

Welcoming the release on Nov. 10 of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations’ proposed spending bills for fiscal 2021, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) President and CEO Christopher J. Connor said, “Congress clearly hears the nation’s need for strong and resilient infrastructure and supply chains based on the spending levels in both the Senate and House appropriation bills relating to America’s ports.”

The House passsed its fiscal 2021 appropriations bills in July, in which funding levels for port-related programs are generally greater or equal to the amounts in the Senate’s proposed appropriation bills, except for Energy and Water appropriations.

While Mr. Connor applauded the higher amount in the Senate’s Energy and Water appropriation that would fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Coastal Navigation program, he noted that “AAPA will be advocating for the higher of the amounts in either chamber’s bills that provide the greatest funding for America’s ports and port-related projects and programs.”

He added: “As Congress and the Administration continue their efforts to pull this country back from the economic precipice imposed on us by the COVID pandemic, attention must be given to the maritime industry and to ports specifically. The total economic value generated at our nation’s ports accounts for nearly 26 percent of the American economy, making ports a key part of our economic vitality and our eventual recovery. It’s critical that America’s seaports and our supply chain remain intact and able to facilitate this recovery, and that continued investments be made in our nation’s trade infrastructure to put Americans back to work.”

Currently, the federal government is funded under a Continuing Resolution (CR) that expires on Dec. 11. That will require either another short-term CR to fund the federal government until the 117th Congress is seated, a full spending agreement for the balance of fiscal 2021, or a partial spending agreement for some federal departments and a short-term CR for other federal departments.