Cantwell Announces Over $18 Million in Grants Awarded to Two Washington State Ports

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell announced that a total of $18.14 million in federal grants has been awarded to the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Ilwaco. The grant awards were made through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).

Senator Cantwell has consistently championed and coauthored the 2019 legislation that reauthorized MARAD and the PIDP grant program. Most recently, the program was reauthorized in the 2021 National Defense Reauthorization Act, a provision authored by Cantwell. As Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Cantwell worked to include a record $2.25 billion for the program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). In September, Cantwell led a letter calling to boost funding for the PIDP program to help address the ongoing issues with port congestion.

Port congestion has significantly impacted Washington state residents. Ships carrying perishables have been held up, sometimes for weeks, causing produce to rot in their containers, resulting in huge losses and reduced food supply. Currently, school districts across Washington are experiencing shortages of certain foods normally served in school cafeterias.

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