Ports Urge Congress to Reverse Cuts to Port Infrastructure Funding

[By: American Association of Port Authorities]

Today, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and a broad coalition of every donor and energy transfer port sent the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the Energy and Water Development Subcommittees leaders a letter, urging them to reverse a harmful funding diversion and restore critical support for ports through the FY2026 appropriations process.

The ports’ message is clear: without restoration of Section 102 and 2106 funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF), the U.S. port system will lose over $1 billion in direct investment during the remainder of the Trump administration – undermining national security, supply chain resilience, and energy exports.

The letter’s 23 signatories state that, “it is our strongest hope that we can work together to correct this misstep and ensure these funds are available and utilized for their Congressionally intended purpose to carry out the WRDA 2020, Section 102 program at donor and energy transfer ports.”

Background and Urgency
Congress enacted Section 102 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 with bipartisan support. The measure ensured fair allocation of Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) revenues, particularly to donor and energy transfer ports that historically contributed about 50% of total HMT collections but received less than 2% back for projects at their ports. In FY2024, this provision finally delivered, resulting in $332 million for expanded-use projects at these ports, funding seismic resilience upgrades, dock rehabilitation, slope stabilization, and critical berth dredging. This compromise in WRDA 2020 was a historic achievement that resolved years of debate over fair allocation of the HMTF. That compromise is now in danger and must be restored.

The FY2025 Army Corps Work Plan eliminated this funding entirely, despite explicit congressional direction in the FY24 Energy & Water conference report. Even more troubling, the Administration’s FY2026 budget request once again excludes funding for Section 102 and 2106, placing critical port projects and economic development at risk.

The Request
The letter calls on Appropriations Committee leadership to include bill language in the FY2026 Energy & Water Appropriations Act that:

• Directs the Army Corps of Engineers to allocate $417.6 million in HMTF funding for donor and energy transfer ports, consistent with Section 102 of WRDA 2020;
• Provides $62 million from the general fund for additional eligible projects under Section 2106 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014; and
• Reaffirms Congressional intent to implement WRDA 2020 as written, ensuring consistent and predictable investment in U.S. port infrastructure.

AAPA’s Commitment
AAPA is fully committed to aggressively advocating for the restoration of this critical port funding. We thank the donor and energy transfer ports for leading on this vital issue and will continue working with our partners in Congress to ensure U.S. ports receive the fair and full investment they are owed.

Read the full letter to Congressional appropriators here.