News Release
FOR RELEASE - December 13, 2023
Contact: Shawn Balcomb, sbalcomb@aapa-ports.org
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
Washington, D.C. — Today, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Board Chair and Port Tampa Bay CEO, Paul Anderson, will testify at a House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing. The hearing will consider proposals and stakeholder priorities for a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024.
In his testimony, Mr. Anderson will outline WRDA's key functions and benefits for Port Tampa Bay and ports across the United States. The legislation, Anderson will explain to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, "is a lifeline for our nation's economic and infrastructure progress."
A primary objective of this hearing – and an emphasis of Mr. Anderson’s testimony – is to highlight the importance of WRDA legislation to then entire country and to encourage Congress to maintain a bipartisan tradition of WRDA bills on a two-year cycle.
Maritime commerce never stops and neither should Congress' authorization of WRDA. Mr. Anderson states that "Congress must continue to support this legislation and provide the necessary authority to carry out these important projects. It is critical to U.S. port and exporter competitiveness that Congress continue enacting WRDA legislation every two years to minimize delays in updating this infrastructure to keep up with the demands of maritime commerce."
The hearing comes as Congress resumes their work on their FY24 WRDA legislation. Today's hearing, featuring industry stakeholders, follows a hearing of the same Subcommittee last week, which featured government witnesses.
Read Mr. Anderson's testimony as prepared for delivery here.
Tune into the 2 p.m. hearing live here.
About AAPA
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is the unified voice of port leaders and maritime industry partners across the Western Hemisphere who serve a vital role in job-creation, international competitiveness and economic prosperity. Connecting small business owners, retailers and manufacturers to the global marketplace, AAPA member organizations sustain 31 million jobs and 26 percent of the U.S. economy, and advocate for national policies and infrastructure investments in support of a resilient global supply chain and a positive impact on the way people live, work, travel and engage in commerce. Visit www.aapa-ports.org or on Twitter @PortsUnited.
