AAPA Members Visit Congressional Leaders, Bestow ‘Port Person’ and ‘Legislative Leadership’ Awards

As part of the Legislative Summit: Now We Build, teams of AAPA members and staff went to Capitol Hill to talk with lawmakers on issues vital to the port industry. AAPA met with Senators, Representatives, and senior staff of key Congressional Committees to advocate for U.S. port policy issues. Various topics were discussed during the conversations, including the implementation of grant programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, continued full distribution of Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund dollars, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection resources. AAPA members met with 53 Congressional offices, a new association record. Attendees participated in a hybrid of 34 in-person and 19 virtual meetings. Of those, 30% were held directly with members of Congress.

Also making news during the Legislative Summit, recipients of AAPA’s 2022 Port Person of the Year awards, U.S. Senator Mark Warner (Va.) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (La.) were jointly recognized. Sen. Warner and Sen. Cassidy were named Port Persons of the Year for their tireless advocacy for ports and waterways programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

In addition, the AAPA President’s Award for Legislative Leadership, a new award this year, was presented to Senator Patty Murray (Wa.) for her efforts spanning more than a decade to reform the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF).