Posted on November 1, 2022
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced a new federal grant for the Port of Seattle of over $17 million. This funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senator Murray helped shape and pass, and will go towards improving the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within the port.
“The Port of Seattle is one of the most important links in our global supply chain. With over $73 billion worth of goods flowing through our ports of Seattle and Tacoma annually, I fought hard to ensure the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivered resources to improve them—to not only make our supply chains more efficient, but also bringdown the costs of goods on our shelves, and support good paying Washington state jobs,” said Senator Murray. “I will keep fighting to do everything I can to support our ports, strengthen our economy, and cut costs for families.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—which Senator Murray was a leader in negotiating and passing—invests more than $17 billion in port infrastructure and waterways with the primary aim of addressing needed repairs and maintenance backlogs, reducing congestion to strengthen our supply chains and remove bottlenecks to expedite commerce, cutting emissions near ports by boosting electrification, and investing in other low-carbon technologies to reduce environmental impacts on neighboring communities.
In particular, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law designates $450 million annually for the next five years for the Port Infrastructure Development Program. This will allow significant improvements to port facilities and projects that include: loading and unloading of goods at a port; movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port; resilience projects addressing rising sea-level, flooding, extreme weather events, and natural disasters; and environmental and emissions mitigation measures.
Senator Murray has long fought for Washington state’s ports and waterways. Earlier this month, Senator Murray announced a federal grant of over $4.1 million from the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration for the purchase of an electric dock crane at the Port of Vancouver. In August, Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion in Longview on her recent efforts to support the Port of Longview, strengthen supply chains, and help create good-paying jobs. The Senate-passed Water Development Resources Act contained key provisions for Washington state, including changes secured by Murray to the Harbor Maintenance Tax and Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. These changes, if enacted, will provide billions of dollars each year to invest in and enhance the global competitiveness of ports in Washington state and across the country.
