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Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) led a bipartisan group of 24 Members of Congress in a letter, May 23, to urge the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies of the House Committee on Appropriations to provide $90 million for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program for F26. APTA voiced its strong support for the request and actively encouraged Representatives to sign the letter. Congress has historically underfunded the ferry program, which provides competitive grants to expand and improve public ferry service in states and eligible U.S. territories. The letter also includes a request that the subcommittee include a legislative provision to ensure that all rural areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau are eligible to apply for the Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program. Finally, the Representatives urge the subcommittee to include report language clarifying that the Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program and the Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program are subject to existing Buy America requirements. (fb)