AAPA contributed the perspective of U.S. ports to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-hosted America’s Infrastructure Summit: Time to Modernize, highlighting the urgency to modernize America’s infrastructure. Twenty-three speakers from different industries and public and private sectors gave different perspectives on the importance of an infrastructure package in 2018. Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, introduced the Chamber’s infrastructure priorities, which include a modest increase in the federal motor vehicle user fee, expansion of federal loan programs to leverage private-sector resources, streamlining the permitting process and expanding the workforce. 

Steve Cernak, P.E., PPM, Port Director of Port Everglades and AAPA Chairman, represented seaport priorities in a session titled A Broader View of Infrastructure. AAPA has identified $66 billion in port-related infrastructure funding needs for both waterside and landside projects. Additionally, seaports seek funds from the Harbor Maintenance Tax to be fully released to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  

"These investments are NOT made in a vacuum. Ports and private sector partners plan $155 billion in investments in the coming years. We have partnerships in place, but we need the federal government to step forward and invest with us so that the private sector and local funding can be fully leveraged," said Cernak.

Learn more about the Chamber’s infrastructure priorities here.