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Welcome back to this week's edition of the Washington Weekly newsletter - bringing you the latest and greatest policy updates from Washington, D.C.
Biden Administration Announces $450 Million for Ports
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced nearly $450 million in newly available grant funding for port-related projects through the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). These grants can help ports expand capacity and improve the movement of goods through our supply chains. This funding is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is nearly double last year’s investment in PIDP for states and port authorities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $17 billion in ports and waterways. These grants demonstrate continued action on commitments in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Port Action Plan, which is designed to strengthen our supply chains to meet demand resulting from the rapid economic recovery over the past year, and help address inflationary pressures. These grants also meet policy recommendations in DOT’s one-year supply chain report that is focused on improving the movement of goods from ships to shelves. PIDP grants are awarded on a competitive basis to support projects that will improve the movement of goods to, through and around ports. Furthermore, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law calls upon applicants to explore ways to include projects that will improve goods movement while also strengthening resilience, reducing emissions and advancing environmental justice. The deadline to submit an application for the Port Infrastructure Development Program is May 16, 2022. For more information, visit https://www.maritime.dot.gov/PIDPgrants
Biden Administration Releases Plan to Secure Critical Supply Chains in 2022
One year ago, President Biden signed Executive Order 14017 directing an all-of-government approach to assessing vulnerabilities in – and strengthening the resilience of – the United States’ critical supply chains. On Thursday, February 24, 2022, the one year anniversary, seven cabinet agencies published their reports identifying key weaknesses in some of the nation’s most crucial supply chains, and devising multi-year strategies to address those weaknesses. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s assessment identifies six priority vulnerabilities facing U.S. agri-food supply chains:
Priority 1: Concentration and Consolidation in Agri-Food Production, Manufacturing, and Distribution
Priority 2: Labor Needs
Priority 3: Ecological and Climate Risks to Crops
Priority 4: Livestock and Poultry Disease Threats
Priority 5: Transportation Bottlenecks
Priority 6: Trade Disruptions
For each of these priority areas, the report briefly describes key vulnerabilities and proposes specific actions that can address them. Many of these actions can be carried out using USDA’s existing set of supply chain tools and capacities including using funding from the American Rescue Plan; others will require additional Congressional authorization and appropriations, and still others would require coordination with or come under the purview of other Federal agencies. GCCA is encouraged to see these proposals and will continue to engage with the Administration as it begins their implementation.
Read the USDA Agri-Food Supply Chain Assessment HERE.
Read the full plan HERE.
USDA Commits $215 Million to Enhance the American Food Supply Chain
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday, February 24, 2022, announced that USDA is making available up to $215 million in grants and other support to expand meat and poultry processing options, strengthen the food supply chain, and create jobs and economic opportunities in rural areas. USDA Rural Development will make $150 million available in grants to fund startup and expansion activities in the meat and poultry processing sector. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will provide another $40 million for workforce development and training, and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will provide $25 million to offer technical assistance to grant applicants and others seeking resources related to meat and poultry processing.
Read more HERE.
Pentagon Approves Requests for National Guard as Trucker Convoy Eyes D.C.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved requests from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police for National Guard assistance ahead of trucker protests expected to arrive before Biden’s State of the Union address this week. Up to 700 National Guard personnel will be deployed to help control traffic at designated traffic posts and points leading to the Capitol. This includes 400 members of the D.C. National Guard and nearly 300 other Guard members from New Jersey, Vermont and West Virginia. Truck drivers protesting vaccine requirements are expected to depart Pennsylvania on Wednesday morning and drive to the D.C. area, arriving late Wednesday or Thursday. The demonstration protesting vaccine requirements and other issues is inspired by truck driver protests in Canada.
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