AAPA says President Trump’s budget plan will see cuts to federally funded port programs
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) says its analysis of US President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget will mean big reductions in federal funding for port-related programs.
Among the programs facing significant cuts are the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) which would face a 52% cut, being reduced to $47.8m.
Even more drastically the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants would be eliminated altogether. In fiscal year 2017 that provided $61.8m in multi-modal infrastructure grants.
Last week AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle told a panel at the Infrastructure Week forum in Washington that $66bn of federal investment was needed.
On a more positive note, the AAPA said it was pleased with a separately announced plan for $1 trillion in overall infrastructure spending over 10 years, with some of that helping upgrade road, rail and other systems supporting ports.
Several commentators and even Republican congressmen have said that the budget as proposed will be “dead on arrival” in Congress.
