Inland ports lobby for dollars

Lawmakers in both houses of Congress are teaming up on a bipartisan effort to draw infrastructure improvement dollars from the Port Infrastructure Development Program away from the coasts and into inland waterways.

"Our ports are the front doors of American trade," said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. "This bill ensures smart federal investments in local jobs, improves supply chains, and enhances our economic security."

The bill in both houses is tagged as the Securing Smart Investments in Our Ports Act and includes support from representatives of Michigan, Indiana, New York, Illinois, and Texas.

The Senate version is sponsored by Sen. Gary Peters D-Mich. and was introduced in April 2025.

"These ports are being overlooked when it comes to receiving federal support to help keep them safe and efficient," said Peters.

"It's past time to ensure Great Lakes ports have equitable access to the resources they need to upgrade their infrastructure and compete on a level playing field with larger coastal ports."

Peters sits on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, while Kaptur sits on the House Appropriations and Budget Committees.

She is also the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development (EAWD).

Ports are reliable issuers of private activity and revenue bonds to fund infrastructure improvements with the S&P Municipal Bond Port Index tracking more than $24 billion worth of outstanding bonds.

The lawmakers point to what they believe as a disproportionate share of PIDP money going to large, coastal, or high-volume ports.

"Since fiscal year 2019, only 2% of PIDP funding has gone to the Great Lakes region, compared with 38% to West Coast ports and 34% to East Coast ports."

The bill directs the DOT to consider geographic distribution when selecting projects that "explicitly includes inland ports, meaning ports on the Great Lakes, along inland waterways, and other interior ports would be eligible for funding."

The Port Infrastructure Development Program is a competitive federal grant program administered by the Maritime Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Ports can apply for PIDP dollars, but the American Association of Port Authorities estimates the program is oversubscribed by a rate of 4.5 to 1.

Port infrastructure is also supported by the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, which is subject to the appropriations process.

In August, the AAPA appealed to the DOT requesting that upcoming discussions on the surface transportation bill should include the ports' "significant land-side footprint."

The group also requested an advanced appropriation of $10.9 billion over five years as part of the surface transportation reauthorization.

Ports were the only sector to earn a solid B on the American Society of Civil Engineers Infrastructure Report Card and were also the first sector to take a hit in the ongoing tariff disputes.

"Federal port dollars shouldn't be funneled to the same handful of coastal ports while inland and Gulf Coast ports that move America's energy, agriculture, and manufactured goods are left behind," said Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas.