Last week, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was busy.

On Tuesday, we approved legislation to strengthen, support, and authorize funding for the U.S. Coast Guard. This legislation ensures the Coast Guard will have resources to remain mission-ready, including for search and rescue, preventing and responding to oil spills in the Puget Sound, and ensuring the U.S. Coast Guard and the Academy are safe work environments.

On Wednesday, Secretary Sean Duffy testified before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As the top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I told him my priorities for air traffic control modernization. Modernizing air traffic control requires increasing the numbers in the aviation safety workforce, expediting the deployment of critical runway safety technology, and replacing air traffic control infrastructure.

The Department of Transportation also made several positive announcements regarding funding for projects in Northwest Washington:

• $2 million is going to Snohomish County to help with the planning and design of an expansion of the rail yard.
• $11 million to the Swinomish Indian Tribal community for the Swinomish Port Authority.
• $17.9 million for the Port of Bellingham and its shipping terminal rail construction.
• $2 million to the City of Lynden for the Pepin Creek Flood, Agriculture, Salmon, and Safety Transportation design project, also known as the FASST project.

Infrastructure means improved quality of life in Northwest Washington and job creation. That is why I have been laser-focused on bringing home good news where I can and leading essential bipartisan efforts for transportation and infrastructure.

More soon,

Rick