With the passing of Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the Whitehouse released a Fact Sheet yesterday which summarizes Action Plan for America’s Ports and Waterways. The Biden administration has not yet confirmed a date in which he will sign the Bill into action. The 2,702-page bipartisan bill contains $550 billion in new spending which includes…
Read MoreWhile American ports are a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, outdated infrastructure and the COVID-19 pandemic have strained their capacity and jeopardized global supply chains. According to the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure Report issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), in 2018, America’s ports supported more than 30 million jobs and…
Read MoreWASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and John Boozman, R-Ark., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today sent a letter to Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Michael Khouri expressing support for the FMC’s current efforts to address the supply chain…
Read MoreChair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) announced the Committee’s Democratic roster for the 117th Congress, as well as the six subcommittee chairs and the full Committee Vice Chair, all of whom were approved by the Democrats on the Committee. In total, there will be 37 Democrats serving on the Committee,…
Read MoreJanuary, 2021 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) welcomed the Republican Members recommended by the House Republican Steering Committee to serve on Transportation and Infrastructure in the 117th Congress. “Our Nation’s expansive transportation and infrastructure systems have shaped our economy for centuries and allowed commerce to grow…
Read MoreWASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Passenger and Freight Rail: The Current Status of the Rail Network and the Track Ahead,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21. The hearing will examine the current state of the passenger and freight rail network, including impacts…
Read MoreChair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), and Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-AR) applauded House passage of the bipartisan Water Resources…
Read MoreToday, the House of Representatives of the 116th Congress passed the Coastal and Inland Ports and Terminals Commerce Improvements Act, H.R. 7416. The bill, sponsored by Representative Mike Bost (R-IL) and Conor Lamb (D-PA) was included as an Amendment to HR 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill establishes a competitive grant matching program…
Read MoreCommittee Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA 2020) On July 13, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), and Water Resources and Environment Ranking Member…
Read MoreInland Rivers, Ports and Terminal Association backed bill, H.R. 7416 — the “Coastal and Inland Ports and Terminals Commerce Improvements Act” and yesterday (June 29th), it was introduced. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) and Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA). Today, the real work starts and we are asking for your help. Many of…
Read MoreIRPT Legislative Caucus
On February 15, Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals Board of Directors voted to adopt a new IRPT Legislative Caucus.
The IRPT Legislative Caucus brings together IRPT Members that have the like-minded vision and passion to make recommendations to Congress and Federal Agencies that focus on maritime transportation in order to strongly advocate for common legislative objectives that affect inland interests and to support the inland river transportation system.
Our first meeting will be via zoom meeting on April 6th at 10:00 am central time to discuss:
- IRPT’s vision for this caucus;
- Ask for volunteer assignments;
- Plan an in-person event in Washington.
IRPT had been building its relationships with many lawmakers in Washington during our successful attempt at passing legislation to provide funding opportunities for inland and small coastal ports and terminals. Immediately following that, COVID hit and as you may have experienced, it has been quite difficult to connect with lawmakers to propel additional initiatives forward. Now that restrictions have loosened in Washington and many conversations are taking place about certain pieces of legislation that affect inland river transportation and the ports and terminals that use them, this is an excellent opportunity to reconnect and hit the hill.
The IRPT Legislative Caucus Members plan to make their first in-person visit to Washington in May 2022.
If you have served on IRPT’s Board of Directors, you are familiar with our handling of such events, in that IRPT will schedule all of the Congressional visits, prepare your itinerary (not including travel) and materials for dissemination and much more.
Our current roster of IRPT’s Legislative Caucus includes:
- Anthony Gex, IRPT President, River Bend Transport
- Jim Kearns, IRPT Secretary/Treasurer, Jones Walker
- Molly Bourgoyne, IRPT Board Member, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
- Dave Riggs, IRPT Board Member, Watco
- Mary Ann Bucci, Port of Pittsburgh
IRPT Members interested in serving should email Aimee Andres at aandres@irpt.net.
IRPT Legislative Caucus Initiatives