Item No.
11a_supp
Meeting Date: January 28, 2025
Draft Federal Legislative Agenda for 2025
Briefing to Port of Seattle Commission
January 28, 2025
Eric Schinfeld, Sr. Manager, Federal & International Government Relations, Port of Seattle
1
Overview
• 2024 Key Accomplishments & 2025 Outlook
• Overview of Draft 2025 Policy Priorities
 Areas of Potential Progress
 Areas of Potential Concern
• Next steps
- Incorporate Commission feedback
- Seek Commission adoption at 2/11/25 meeting
2
2024 Successes
•
Inclusion of Key StART Priorities in Final FAA Reauthorization:
- U.S. Representative Adam Smith's Protecting Airport Communities from Particle Emissions Act
- Creating a clear process and deadline for review and action on the FAA's 65 DNL noise contour metric
- Extension of the FAA's Environmental Mitigation Pilot Program
- FAA guidance for new regional airport capacity
•
Inclusion of Flexibility for Airport Owned Parks in Final Versions of FAA Reauthorization
- Provides SEA the option to sell or preserve certain park parcels, even if federal dollars were used for their purchase
•
Passage of WRDA
- Deauthorization of a portion of the federal waterway next to Terminal 25 South
- Clarifies that USACE can accept Port money to help expedite mitigation banking permits.
- Increases the maximum depth of the 50% federal cost share for deepening projects from 50 feet to 55 feet
- Directs USACE to expedite the completion of a Chief's Report for East Waterway deepening project.
•
Passage of MARAD Reauthorization
- Includes PIDP for cruise shore power and "seafood cargo" infrastructure
Impactful Progress on Current Port Priorities
3
2024 Successes Con't.
•
FY25 Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee Guidance
- Includes language directing FAA to allow federal fund to be used for sound insulation repair or replacement
•
EPA Clean Ports Program Planning Grant
- $3 million to study alternative maritime fuels development and harbor craft electrification
•
Congressionally Directed Spending
- $800,000 for a Seattle Waterfront Sea Level Rise Resiliency Study
- $800,000 to replace the Pier 86 Grain Terminal switcher locomotive
•
Additional DCA Service
- Supported successful efforts to add direct service from SEA to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Impactful Progress on Current Port Priorities
4
2025 Outlook
• Full Republican control in Washington, DC: White House, Senate, and House of
Representatives
- 53 to 47 Republican Majority in the Senate
- 220*-215 Republican Majority in the House (*likely 217 for the first few months)
• Small Congressional majorities mean limited opportunity for major legislation, although
passage of the Laken Riley act shows an appetite for bipartisan immigration legislation
- Expect significant action by Executive Order and agency regulation
• Republicans are aiming for one or two "reconciliation packages" in 2025 that can be
passed by party line votes
- Focus will be on border, energy, defense, tax and trade
- Will also include repeal of some IRA provisions and funding
5
2025 Outlook Con't.
• Top Administration priorities include:
• Immigration restrictions/deportations
• Budget cuts
• Tariffs
• Regulatory reform & Permitting reform
• Tax cuts
• Likely to be deemphasized/actively rolled back:
• Environmental considerations/policies
• New grant programs
• Non-defense spending
• Equity efforts/"DEI"
• Other social/cultural issues that could impact employees (abortion,
transgender rights, vaccine access, free speech)
6
2025 Executive Orders & Presidential Actions To-Date
• Removed TSA Administrator and Coast Guard Commandant from their posts
• FAA Administrator voluntarily resigned
• No nominee for these three roles yet
• 42 Executive Orders on Inauguration Day, including:
• Halting Disbursement of IRA and IIJA Funds
• Ending all federal "DEI programs and funding"
• Instituting an "emergency" at the US Southern Border
• Halting new offshore wind leases
• Re-establishing the "travel ban"
• Halting refugee admissions
• Declaring a National Energy Emergency, including changes to NEPA
• Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement
• Opening up Alaska to more drilling, including in ANWR
7
Opportunities for Progress
I.
Extension of Sustainable Aviation Fuels Tax Credit (and potentially inclusion for alternative maritime fuels)
II. Retention of Proposed FY25 Investments
1) Funding to add 1,000 new Customs & Border Protection Officers, including for air and sea gateways
2) Funding for key Transportation Security Administration (TSA) programs
3) Funding for a new PFAS Transition Grant Program
III. Implementation of Congressionally Approved Policies
4) FAA implementation of the four StART Priorities included in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization legislation
5) Implementation of Senate report language directing FAA to allow certain airports to use existing federal
funding to repair or replace federally funded sound insulation in near-airport residences
6) Implementation of language clarifying that ports can support processing of mitigation banking applications
7) Implementation of HMT reform
8) West Waterway and East Waterway progress
9) SAF pilot included in the 2022 NDAA
10) Flexibility in Buy America and other domestic preference requirements
8
Opportunities for Progress Con't.
I.
Pursuit of Grant Funding
II. Advocacy for Other Bipartisan or Nonpartisan Opportunities
1) Ensure strong SAF support in the 2025 Farm Bill, including the proposed "Farm to Fly" Program
2) Enhance domestic ship building capacity - particularly related to vessels that can utilize alternative maritime
fuels and/or help transport clean energy like offshore wind turbines.
3) Continue progress with federal agency partners to identify in-water permitting solutions
4) Promote alternative maritime fuels, including hydrogen
5) Support key pieces of legislation that advance the offshore wind industry
6) Support for major bipartisan permitting reform, including for siting new clean energy facilities
9
Areas of Concern
I.
Highlight Risks of New Policies to Port Business, Operations and Employees
I. Push for tariffs to be carefully and narrowly targeted
II. Be a leading voice on immigration policies
III. Be a strong advocate for keeping the United States open to travelers and visitors from throughout the world
IV. Push back against policies that would limit the Port's ability to conduct equity, diversity and inclusion efforts
V. Advocate on behalf of Port employees who might be negatively impacted by proposed changes that limit their
access to healthcare, their free speech rights, or their ability to engage politically without fear of retribution
II. Support Retention of Key Programs Despite Significant Non-Defense, Discretionary Spending Cuts
I. Retention of the Alternative Fuel and Low-Emission Aviation Technology Program
II. Funding for research on SAF
III. Funding for the EPA DERA program.
IV. Funding for Puget Sound restoration and Southern Resident Killer Whale protection
V. Funding for federal regulatory and permitting staff
VI. Funding for the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
VII. Funding for the HMT "donor port" program
VIII. Federal support for high-speed rail planning and infrastructure
10
Next Steps
• Today - Commission briefing in public session
• Now through February 11, 2025 - Incorporate feedback received
• February 11, 2025 - Ask Commission for adoption in public session
• February 2025 - Meetings with Congressional offices to distribute agenda and share priorities
• March - December 2025 - Commissioners and Port Executives participation in DC advocacy
Questions?
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